Amari Cooper Traded To Browns For Late-Round Picks: Initial Reactions
A move involving Amari Cooper was on the horizon and now it is done. It was announced early this afternoon and has been confirmed that Amari Cooper was traded to the Cleveland Browns. Dallas also sent over a sixth-round pick and in exchange, the Cowboys get a 2022 fifth and sixth-round pick.
What Cooper Meant To Dallas
Cooper was due $20 million this year and trading him away opens up a big chunk of cap money. Essentially Dallas cannot afford him anymore and decided it was time to trade him away. Cooper has made two Pro Bowls with the Cowboys (2018, 2019). He also racked up a 93-catch season in 2020. He caught 27 touchdown passes over three and a half seasons with Dallas, including eight in 2021.
But Cooper is coming off of a dip in production as he finished with 865 receiving yards in 2021. In seasons two and three with Dallas, Cooper tallied 2,303 receiving yards total. Cooper is an elite route runner and has led the Cowboys in receiving touchdowns every single year since joining the team.
Losing a talent like Cooper will hurt this Dallas offense. While Dallas will have CeeDee Lamb and hopefully Michael Gallup, Cooper was a key piece. Losing an elite route runner and touchdown machine is never good. Hopefully, this means Dallas will appreciate what they have left moving forward.
What Does This Trade Mean?
Like I said earlier, Dallas now avoids having to pay Cooper the $20 million guaranteed in 2022. Dallas began this offseason $21.1 million over the cap. Since then, Dallas has released Greg Zuerlein, waived Blake Jarwin, and traded Amari Cooper.
The Cooper trade opens up $16 million in cap space as Dallas will have to eat around six million in dead money. This is the kind of money that will be used to keep guys like Michael Gallup around. This move also means that CeeDee Lamb will move up and be wide receiver No. 1 for Dallas. Lamb and hopefully Gallup will be getting a shot to show they are worth the money.
What move will the Dallas Cowboys make next? Comment below and join the discussion!
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