After endless speculation over his future, Wide Receiver Amari Cooper has been traded by the Cowboys to the Cleveland Browns for a 2022 5th-Round pick and a swap of picks in the 6th Round. The move frees up $16 million in salary cap space for Dallas.
With Cooper already been targeted as a potential cap casualty since their season ended, the Cowboys are at least getting something back in addition to the cap space. But this is a low return for a 27-year-old WR1 who they traded a 1st-Round pick for in 2018.
Unfortunately, all the talk about Amari's unlikely future in Dallas must have limited their leverage in trade talks.
The #Cowboys fielded calls all week from several teams. In the end, the salary was an issue. But the #Browns will now take on the entire contract, as Dallas felt someone would. https://t.co/JFxinHBbO8
The Cowboys now add the 155th overall pick (5th Round) to their arsenal for the upcoming draft. They will also move up from the 201st pick to the 192nd pick in the 6th Round in the swap with Cleveland.
The key here is the cap space, giving Dallas close to $20 million in flexibility now to handle offseason business. They are reportedly pursuing new contracts with WR Michael Gallup and DE Randy Gregory among others, and have recently been linked to free agent LB Bobby Wagner.
Bringing Gallup back now becomes paramount as Cooper's departure leaves CeeDee Lamb and Noah Brown as the only experienced receivers current under contract for 2022.
I love my Cowboys but dam they were major idiots on this one the could have cut him and got a better return you just got rid of your best receiver at 27 years old for practically nothing DAF
How could they have gotten a better return by cutting him?
Brilliant move! And, thank goodness for Cleveland being Cleveland!
Cleveland just took on a 20 million cap hit for a degrading guy who Mayfield will yell at , And, Cooper cannot stand being yelled at.
The best trade since Hershall Walker!
The Boys found someone dumb enough to actually give anything while taking over 100% of a 20 million contract for a guy worth 7.
Cooper had regressed to where he was as the #3 receiver. He was limited by his feet more and more .
Great trade for Dallas! But, goodness, how can Cleveland be so dumb?
You are grossly underrating Cooper. He’s still one of the best WR talents in football and would put up Kupp numbers in an offense that fed him the same way,
At least they got something in return while shedding that $20M salary.
Just wish they had kept their mouths shut and worked the trades behind the scenes instead of showing their hand early and often.
With that 20 million dollar contract, he almost had to be traded, especially with the cowboys cap situation. With his history of always being dinged up and his inability to take over games like the top WRs do, not the loss that some are making it out to be.
The cowboys need to be less worried about skill positions, and go about rebuilding the OL. Do that and the QB,WRs and RBs will be more productive.
Thinking that’s the approach. We’ve had enough success through the years with the Miles Austins, Laurent Robinsons, and Cole Beasleys to support what you said.
Just wish they’d thought of that in 2016 when they drafted Zeke.
Thought they could have gotten better than 5th rounder for him, but I guess getting rid of that contract was more important. They gave up a first rounder to get him, I think a couple of years ago. Now on to signing MG and CW, and dipping into the draft. Should still be a very good WR room.
Stephen Jones is an absolute moron in my opinion. Agents lick their chops when negotiating with him. It’s a battle of wits with an unarmed man. He’s never come close to winning a negotiation. They had to dump Cooper because of Stephen’s stupidity . Looks like another 25 years of mediocrity
Unfortunately the Cowboys haven’t had much luck with 5th round selections. Yet another case and point where and why they need to hire a general manager. The Jones’s just don’t get it. Until they truly delegate authority the Cowboys will not be successful.
Well they do have three 5th rounders now (original, Cleveland’s and a comp pick). That’s three darts to throw or they could build a package to trade up.
Every pick counts. The more u you have, the more chance you hit on some. Obviously less chance with 5th rounders. But the NFL is littered with good players that were 5th rounders.
Sadly true. Dallas hasn’t had a 5th-round win since Scandrick in 2008.
I thought we put so value in draft picks? They gave up a #1 pick for him which was 27. Which could have netted them Deebo Samuel, D.K. Metcalf, and Daquarius Brown. Those contracts what have costs them 11.4 million in total. So, in dumping Cooper who is the best route runner in the league at 27 old this is a terrible blunder. Good luck with Cee Dee as your number one who had all of three catches in the playoffs against the 9ers. Cooper scored the only touchdown in that game and was the lowest targeted number 1 in the league. Go ahead and franchise Dalton Schultz’ who absolutely benefited from Coop drawing double coverage away from him..
Now you have Cee Dee and Gallup with a blown ACL as your receiving core. Who the hell is the GM anyway? Is it Jerry or Stephen? Hell it doesn’t make a difference anyway.
Now that’s the honest truth! They know business! The NFL is fan-based, pleasured ENTERTAINMENT, supported by a billionaires’s money, which was made in other business ventures by them. I was always told, “Never mix business with pleasure”!
The one thing I get out of this is they just made the team worse without Coop. Just remember how pathetic this passing game was without it. Dak was absolutely struggling before Coop got here and has absolutely benefited from Coop. These are just facts and with numbers to back it up. We now have Dak and Zeke as the team leaders who are no longer young and fresh to lean on. It feels like another Tony Romo and Dez Bryant wasted career.
While you’re right about the situation in 2018, that was also when Cole Beasley was our best receiver. Gallup was a rookie and Witten was on Monday Night Football. We’re in a much different place now with Lamb, Gallup, and Schultz. Not saying we didn’t need Cooper but the situation isn’t nearly as dire.