One of the biggest moves the Dallas Cowboys made in the offseason was trading away Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns. On Thursday night, the veteran wideout had yet another game with at least 100 yards and a touchdown.
During this Friday’s appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones addressed the team’s decision to trade Cooper. He said that move was made strictly because Cooper’s salary was too high.
“The issue with Amari Cooper was how much we were paying him, and what we could do with that money,” Jones said. “Completely. Amari Cooper is a real good player. Top player.”
Jones added that Dallas wants a better offensive line and pass rush, saying, “You can’t have it all.”
Logistically speaking, trading away Cooper to gain cap space makes sense. However, the Cowboys ended up doing nothing with that money.
The Cowboys currently have over $12 million in cap space. The offense, meanwhile, has struggled without Cooper.
Cooper’s departure thrusted CeeDee Lamb into the No. 1 spot on the depth chart. So far, he has struggled to get a lot of separation. Perhaps the return of Michael Gallup will help alleviate that pressure.
Make no mistake though, every great game that Cooper has in Cleveland is a reminder that Dallas didn’t get nearly enough value for a player of his skillset.