Dallas Cowboys: Amari Cooper trade can drastically improve offense
The Dallas Cowboys have reportedly traded for former Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper, which is a move that can make the offense dramatically better.
On Sunday ahead of the Week 7 slate of games, reports emerged that the Dallas Cowboys were heavily involved in researching Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper with rumors swirling that the pass-catcher could be traded ahead of the Oct. 30 deadline. As it turns out, the reports of the Cowboys doing their due diligence was quite true.
Come Monday afternoon, the Cowboys were apparently done with their look into Cooper and were ready to deal. Ultimately, they were able to get that deal done. As reported by ESPN’s Josina Anderson, Dallas has traded for the Pro Bowl caliber wide receiver. ESPN’s Adam Schefter added to the report, saying that the Cowboys will send a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft in return.
There’s no doubt that’s a steep price for any player, though not as steep as the price as what the Chicago Bears paid for Khalil Mack. However, given the Cowboys current state of affairs on offense, this was a deal that had to be done.
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From the coaching staff to Dak Prescott to the offensive line to the wide receiver corps, the Dallas offense has been scrutinized at length in 2018. With their defense playing at an extremely high level, it stands to reason that the offense’s lack of potency has been a huge reason why they sit at 3-4 after seven weeks.
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Having said that, Prescott has shown in recent weeks — particularly against the Washington Redskins in Week 7 — that he can still throw the ball down field. The issue, however, has been the coaching staff’s reluctancy to do so, which is fueled by the lack of a consistent threat on the outside to get open deep.
Cooper changes that. Though he’s an imperfect player who has struggled with drops, he was selected in the first round for a reason. All of the physical tools are there for him to be a perennial Pro Bowler at wide receiver. With the dysfunction in Oakland, however, that’s never come to fruition. Given the price that the Cowboys are paying, it’s clear they believe they can unlock that in the wideout.
There are questions that remain regarding how the Cowboys will handle the long-term future of Cooper. After paying a first-round pick to trade for him, you have to believe they plan to sign him long term.
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In the immediate future, though, the Cowboys are adding an element to their offense that they were sorely lacking. The lack of a viable No. 1 receiver in the offense has been glaring, especially in the wake of releasing Dez Bryant this offseason. With Cooper, they now have that threat — and time to acclimate him into the offense going into their bye week.