The Cowboys built an escape hatch in Amari Cooper‘s 2020 contract, and the team took its Year 3 out by trading its previous No. 1 wide receiver to the Browns in March. Only $6MM in dead money came from unloading Cooper, who remains attached to the five-year, $100MM deal he signed in March 2020.
Although Noah Brown stepped up to help Cooper Rush to a win in his latest relief outing, the Cowboys have missed Cooper to some degree. They deployed a heavily CeeDee Lamb-dependent wideout cadre in Week 1, with Michael Gallup and James Washington out and third-round pick Jalen Tolbert inactive. Tolbert has yet to suit up for a Cowboys game.
Cooper, 28, has been the Browns’ No. 1 target. After a down Week 1, the eighth-year receiver has come through over the past two weeks, producing back-to-back 100-yard games. The latter effort helped the Browns to a Thursday-night win over the Steelers. When asked about Cooper’s Dallas departure, Jerry Jones reiterated it was a financial sacrifice. Cooper, who carried the top wide receiver cap number in 2021, became a cut candidate in early March. But the Browns took on the deal after winning a modest sweepstakes for the four-time Pro Bowler.
“The issue with Amari Cooper was how much we were paying him and what we could do with that money, completely,” Jones said during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan (via the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken, on Twitter). “Amari Cooper is a real good player. Top player. You can’t have it all.'”
One of several Cowboys to sign big-ticket contracts between 2019-21, Cooper only fetched fifth- and sixth-round picks in the trade. The Cowboys also sent a 2022 sixth-rounder to the Browns to complete the transaction. Cooper’s contract began to look a bit different as the receiver market boom transpired this offseason. Eight receivers passed Cooper in per-year salary via extensions between March and July, bumping Cooper’s AAV into a tie for 12th at the position. The other teams that traded their top receivers this offseason — the Packers, Chiefs, Titans and Ravens — also each fetched at least a first-round pick in those deals, making the Cowboys’ haul look minuscule by comparison.
The Browns soon restructured Cooper’s contract, dropping his 2022 cap number under $5MM. Cleveland may need to venture further into the void-years realm come 2023, when Cooper’s cap figure spikes beyond $23MM as Deshaun Watson‘s balloons to an unprecedented $54.9MM place.
The Cowboys, who also cut La’el Collins and saw Randy Gregory back out of an extension agreement, regrouped and did not dole out big money to an outside free agent this offseason. After passing on Von Miller‘s offer to take a hometown discount, the Cowboys re-signed Dorance Armstrong and added Dante Fowler on a low-cost deal. The team did not devote much in the way of funds to its offensive line. Dallas re-signed safety Jayron Kearse and gave Gallup a five-year, $57.5MM contract; that became the team’s top offseason expense. Gallup’s contract could age remarkably well, considering where the receiver market has gone. But for now, the Cowboys have him coming off a major injury. They will count on Gallup being a quality Lamb complementary piece this season, as Cooper strives for his fifth Pro Bowl.
Jaylon Smith has a $6.8 million cap hit for the Cowboys this year. Zeke’s is $18.22. Cooper’s contract didn’t become an issue. The need to unload a major salary it was actually possible to unload became an issue.
What Oooof said.
Time will tell if Gallop and Lamb are a good WR1 and WR2 pair? The future cost to keep all three, including Cooper became an issue. Cooper is a good receiver. But players and contract don’t always finish out due to a variety of reasons. A number of teams are dealing with cap versus player dilemmas.
TR loves to slant articles in a negative manner to some teams? In reality every team in the league cuts players, gets outbid for players, have to manage and overpays free agent players that under perform.
Guess Jerry should scold his GM for writing that contract.
Except the savings haven’t been spent and he’s helping someone else win for a 5th round pick.
Jerra being Jerra. This guy I will never win with that ego. He is the smartest man in the room. Just ask him. I LOVE IT
You do know that he has 3 SB rings and is a HoF’er as well right?
Sadly, just about anyone can be a HOF’er nowadays if they are willing to campaign hard enough and make the necessary “connections”.
Jerry earned his jacket. He rewrote marketing at the pro level. No disagreement he egotistical, but to say he was gifted the HoF really misses his value on the league for the past 30 years.
Grateful Biscotti here in Baltimore does his utmost best to stay out of the way when it comes to GM and PoFO decision making. An owner doubling as a GM management model would drive this fan (short for fanatic) insane!
Great owner who cares about winning on the field. Wish the league had more like Biscotti. Most care about their bank accounts only. It hurts the league.
I doubt Jerry knows a thing about marketing or yacht building but he has the money to hire people that do.
I’m sorry I have to say this but the Dallas football team hasn’t been relevant since no one cares to remember.
But yet most valuable sports team. Kinda relevant ??
No, as a fan, not relevant. Sounds like he knows how to market his product very successfully. So Jerry focus on that part of your business. Turn over the game/sport side of it to football people and then get out of the way.
Side note: I did follow Dallas pre Jones when the “Manster”, Randy White, was there. Go Terps!
I’m not a fan of the Cowboys, but you don’t luck into being the most valuable professional franchise in America. He’s a smart and savvy man that has done great things for all franchises & the league.
I didn’t know you liked drinking kool-aid that much.
Jerry says the contract of a quality WR became an issue while still paying big money to a washed up RB. That is exactly why the Cowboys have been a joke for the 25 years and counting
You may not be aware but without the Cowboys revenue those past 25 years 1/3 of the league would have folded! Its just a little more complex than wins and loses as it pertains to a joke? Look at the revenue sharing and you’ll get a better look at teams value to the NFL. The Cowboys and about 5 teams pay the bills.
What does any of that have to do with them being one of the least successful teams since the late 90s?
Hey Jerry, you don’t have it all. Not even close.
Not sure why he even bothered to respond, as I wouldn’t waste even one breath talking about players who are no longer on the team.
The real issue is that Cooper takes time off. Time in a general sense because he takes plays, series, or games depending upon what he wants. With Cooper often the effort is not there, and he gets very short arms.
He is extremely intelligent and has all the talent in the world but will be absent in key situations.