Fallout From Raiders’ Trade Of Amari Cooper
After looking at the Amari Cooper trade from the Cowboys’ perspective, let’s take a look at things from the Raiders’ side:
- Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie insists that Cooper’s contract situation, or the fact that he is represented by the same agent as Khalil Mack agent (Joel Segal) had nothing to do with his desire to make a deal (Twitter link via Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area).
- McKenzie said the trade “was an opportunity I couldn’t pass on, to get a first-round pick. … I love Amari but I just felt it came down to getting the pick,” (Twitter link via Vic Tafur of The Athletic).
- The Raiders are now in a full rebuild mode, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) doesn’t think they’re done yet. Safety Karl Joseph is another first-rounder who could be available, giving the Raiders a chance to add even more to their 2019 draft haul. As Rapoport understands it, quarterback Derek Carr and cornerback Gareon Conley are unlikely to be dealt, but many other players could be had for the right price.
- Head coach Jon Gruden did not immediately address the trade with his team (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Review-Journal). Some players saw Cooper pulled off of the practice field on Monday but didn’t know why until they checked their phones in the locker room.
Fallout From Cowboys’ Trade For Amari Cooper
On Monday, the Cowboys pulled off a blockbuster trade by acquiring multiple-time Pro Bowler Amari Cooper from the Raiders. Many were surprised to hear that the Cowboys gave up a first-round pick for the wide receiver, but the Cowboys had their reasons for splurging. Here’s a look at the fallout from the Cooper deal from the Cowboys’ perspective:
- Before the trade, the Cowboys were committed to taking a wide receiver high in the 2019 draft, likely in the first round (Twitter link via Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports.) By dealing for Cooper instead, the Cowboys believe they have secured a star wide receiver who is already proven and can contribute right away.
- Cooper knows he doesn’t have the leverage to land the sizable extension he will eventually seek, and the Cowboys were sold on the deal upon learning that he was OK with holding off on extension talks (Twitter link via Robinson). Cooper, who hasn’t done a whole lot in his last 20 games, is willing to play through his 2019 fifth-year option, which will pay $13.9MM.
- Gil Brandt of NFL.com (on Twitter) doesn’t have any wide receivers in his top 25 for the 2019 draft. Therefore, if the Cowboys drafted around No. 20, they’d be reaching for a wide receiver less capable than Cooper and wouldn’t have him for the second half of this season. The Cowboys had a similar evaluation of things, Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram tweets.
- “[Cooper is] a younger veteran receiver – only 24 tears old – who can do lot of things in our offense and we don’t have to wait for him to learn how to play in NFL,” said a high-ranking Cowboys source (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen).
- In giving up a first-round pick for Cooper, the Cowboys are further casting their lot with Dak Prescott as their quarterback of the future, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets. His reasoning is that the Cowboys would have had to use a first-round pick in order to be in the QB market in next year’s draft.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/22/18
Today’s practice squad updates:
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: FB Dan Vitale
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Josh Keyes
- Waived/Injured: LB Tyrell Adams
New York Jets
- Signed: WR J.J. Jones, C Jon Toth
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: LB James Cowser
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DB Jeremy Reaves
Raiders’ Jon Gruden: No More Trades
On Monday, the Raiders shipped Amari Cooper to the Cowboys in exchange for a 2019 first-round pick. It’s a surprisingly strong return for a player who was struggled mightily as of late, but Jon Gruden says he won’t press his luck with another blockbuster in the next week. 
[RELATED: Raiders Trade Amari Cooper To Cowboys]
“We’re not trading anyone else,” Gruden told Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (on Twitter) when asked about the possibility of moving quarterback Derek Carr. “We’re trying to stay competitive and figure out a way to compete this next game [against the Colts.]”
Interestingly, GM Reggie McKenzie had a decidedly different answer when asked about the possibility of another deal.
“We’ve got another week,” McKenzie said (Twitter link via Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area), before declining to say that anyone on the roster is untouchable.
After their bye week, the Raiders will face the Colts on Sun. Oct 28, just two days before the trade deadline. If Gruden is to be believed, the Raiders will still have Carr under center and their other notables in action.
Eagles, Jets, Others Pursued Amari Cooper
The Cowboys did not wait for trade deadline week to make their move, unloading a first-round pick to land Amari Cooper from the Raiders. They look to have fought off several others to acquire the fourth-year wide receiver.
Reggie McKenzie said (via Vic Tafur of The Athletic, on Twitter) he spurned initial offers, but that five teams upped their offerings until the Cowboys parted with their next first-round selection. Teams were contacting the Raiders about Cooper as early as the offseason and continued to do so during the season’s opening weeks before recent media reports accelerated the process, McKenzie said (via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Scott Bair and the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Michael Gehlken, Twitter links).
One team that was in the thick of the pursuit: the Eagles. The defending Super Bowl champions were interested in Cooper, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link) other suitors ended up being scared off by the Raiders’ first-round demand. The Cowboys’ initial offer didn’t satisfy the Raiders, either, and they weren’t the first team to ask about Cooper. But executive VP Stephen Jones called McKenzie with the first-round offer and completed the deal Monday morning.
The Jets were involved as well, with Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweeting Gang Green had some interest in a player current team brass loved coming out of the draft in 2015. Just as in the case of Khalil Mack, though, the Jets chose not to part with the kind of draft compensation a trade ultimately required. It’s unclear, however, if the Jets made an offer, per Cimini.
Both the Redskins and Colts were rumored to be interested as well. The Jets are banged up at wide receiver and don’t have much in the way of long-term options at that spot. The Eagles just paid up for Alshon Jeffery and have Nelson Agholor on the books for 2019 via fifth-year option. Cooper now stands to be on the Cowboys’ 2019 payroll via $13MM-plus fifth-year option.
Raiders Place Marshawn Lynch On IR
The injury Marshawn Lynch suffered will prompt the Raiders to place him on IR, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Raiders, who traded Amari Cooper earlier on Monday, now have two open roster spots.
It’s more of a core muscle issue than a groin problem, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Either way, Lynch will be out of commission for a while.
With Lynch’s contract up at season’s end, it’s certainly possible this move signals he’s played his final game as a Raider. He would be unable to return from IR until Week 16, and at the rate the Raiders are going, they figure to be in contention for the 2019 No. 1 overall pick by then and may not have much use for their starting running back.
However, the Raiders’ Las Vegas stadium is not set to open until at least 2020. Another Oakland season isn’t a lock, but it’s been tentatively assumed the team will stay in the Bay Area next year. This is relevant because of Lynch’s desire to play for the Raiders when they’re in his hometown and not in Vegas, so a re-up could commence in 2019 if Jon Gruden and his affinity for veterans believes Lynch can be productive next season, assuming Lynch wants to continue his career.
Lynch had strong moments this season, mainly a 130-yard game against the Browns in Week 4. He rushed for touchdowns in each of the Raiders’ first three games. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry last season and finished with 891 rushing yards in 15 games, only missing a game because of a suspension. Lynch missed much of his final Seahawks season because of injury.
Doug Martin and Jalen Richard will be the primary backs when the Raiders’ season resumes this week.
Cowboys To Acquire Amari Cooper
The Cowboys and Raiders have reached an agreement on Amari Cooper, with ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson reporting (via Twitter) the fourth-year wide receiver will head to Dallas. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets this transaction is indeed happening.
The compensation is big. Dallas will send a first-round pick to Oakland for Cooper, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). It’s a 2019 pick, per SI.com’s Albert Breer (on Twitter). The Oakland/Las Vegas rebuild is in high gear, with the franchise now holding three first-rounders in next year’s draft.
Oakland received an offer for a pick expected to be in the high second-round range, per La Canfora (on Twitter), and turned it down, to the surprise of many around the league. But Gruden has recouped a first-round pick for a wideout whose value doesn’t appear to be what it once was.
While this marks another Reggie McKenzie first-rounder dealt, Breer tweets the Raiders GM handled the trade calls for Cooper and was holding teams to a first-round pick for the 24-year-old receiver’s services. The now-Jon Gruden-led Raiders have traded both of McKenzie’s top first-round acquisitions — Cooper and Khalil Mack — in a two-months span.
Cooper was at Raiders practice earlier on Monday, per ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez (on Twitter), but has been the subject of trade rumors for several days now. The Cowboys are swooping in, doing so after their record dipped below .500 after a Week 7 loss to the Redskins.
While Cooper has not shown the consistency he displayed during his first two seasons — both Pro Bowl campaigns — the Raiders wanted a first-round pick for him and will receive it. The Colts and Redskins were also rumored Cooper suitors, but he’ll head to a team with a dire need at wide receiver. Cooper is signed through the 2019 season, with the Raiders having picked up the 2015 No. 5 overall pick’s $13.924MM fifth-year option.
The return is surprising given Cooper’s performance over the past two years.
He has one catch in Oakland’s past two games and has finished four of the Raiders’ six 2018 contests with two or fewer receptions. After he posted a career-best 1,153 receiving yards in 2016, the Alabama product’s 2017 total (680 yards on 48 receptions in 14 games) was a considerable disappointment.
But Cooper will step in and be a key player for a Cowboys team that cut Dez Bryant this offseason but did not, until Monday, make a big move to replace him. Third-round pick Michael Gallup and UFA addition Allen Hurns represented Jerry Jones‘ Bryant-replacement efforts. Cooper will join a receiving corps currently fronted by slot man Cole Beasley. Only Beasley and tight end Geoff Swaim have more than 200 receiving yards for Dallas. Hurns has only caught 13 passes for 158 yards, and Terrance Williams is on IR.
Cooper’s season will now have back-to-back bye weeks, and he’ll have two weeks before debuting as a Cowboy. Dallas faces Tennessee in Week 9.
While the Cowboys have shown intermittent promise this season and play in an NFC East that’s seen the favored Eagles stumble to start their title defense, a 3-4 team trading a first-round pick represents massive risk. The pick Dallas is sending to Oakland could be in the top half of next year’s first round. With the Raiders’ own first-rounder in contention for No. 1 overall in 2019, they will have prime real estate to bring in potential cornerstones for their Vegas start.
Colts, Redskins Interested In Amari Cooper
The Cowboys are not the only team interested in acquiring Raiders receiver Amari Cooper, as the Colts and Redskins have also reached out regarding the pass-catcher’s availability, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
Oakland head coach Jon Gruden is seemingly willing to trade any player on the club’s current roster, so it’s not surprising that Cooper — the fourth overall selection in the 2015 draft — is reportedly available. The Raiders are seeking a first-round pick in exchange for Cooper, but there’s no indication they’ll be able to garner such a selection, especially given the 24-year-old’s disappointing 2018 campaign. Through six games, Cooper has managed only 22 receptions for 280 yards and a single score.
The Colts don’t have much depth behind T.Y. Hilton, as Chester Rogers, Ryan Grant, Zach Pascal, and the recently-signed Dontrelle Inman represent Indianapolis’ wideout depth chart. The Redskins, too, are in dire straits at wider receiver despite currently carrying seven pass-catchers on their roster. Jamison Crowder and Paul Richardson are not expected to play today against the Cowboys, leaving Washington with Josh Doctson, Maurice Harris, Brian Quick, Jehu Chesson, and Michael Floyd.
Any club that acquires Cooper will take on the remainder of his 2018 base salary, which, depending on when he is hypothetically traded, would amount to roughly $2MM. Thanks to his fifth-year option, Cooper is also under contract for 2019 at a rate $13.924MM, but that total is guaranteed for injury only.
Latest On Jon Gruden; Every Player On Raiders' Roster Available Via Trade?
- Per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link), many Raiders players believe that head coach Jon Gruden is simply not happy with his collection of talent, and that there will be major roster turnover within the next several years. In fact, those players feel it will take up to two years for Gruden to assemble the type of roster he wants, and while rival GMs are not sure they can swing a deal with Oakland GM Reggie McKenzie alone, they believe they can make headway with Gruden. The Raiders are clearly in a state of upheaval right now, and the sense is that everyone on the team is available for the right price.
- Raiders receiver Amari Cooper is clearly available via trade, and Rapoport says that the team has had the most significant discussions about Cooper with NFC East clubs, including the Cowboys. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com confirms that Dallas is doing its due diligence on Cooper, and Albert Breer of TheMMQB thinks there would be teams willing to part with a second-round choice for him, though it does not seem likely that Oakland will get the first-rounder it is reportedly seeking. Breer reports that the team wants a third-round pick in exchange for safety Karl Joseph.
Raiders’ Marshawn Lynch To Miss Time
Bad news for the Raiders. Running back Marshawn Lynch will miss at least a month because of a groin injury and placement on the injured reserve list is a strong possibility, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (Twitter links). 
Lynch had an MRI scan this week, and the results were not promising. Even with a Week 7 bye, Lynch will be forced to the sidelines for multiple games.
The veteran was having the best season of any Raiders offensive skill player before the injury. The 32-year-old had touchdowns in each of the team’s first three games, though his yards-per-carry average has been below the 4.0 mark in five of his six games.
Lynch has dealt with injuries before, but he’s been largely healthy throughout his 12-season career. Last year, he appeared in 15 games and totaled 891 yards off of 207 carries. And, in two of his best seasons in Seattle, he was on the field for all 16 games and racked up 300+ totes.