FRISCO, Texas – The Dallas Cowboys have made a trade with the Oakland Raiders on Monday: Cowboys’ acquiring wide receiver Amari Cooper and the Raiders’ getting a 1st round pick out of the exchange per ESPN.
The Raiders selected Cooper with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft out of Alabama. Since that day, he has become one of the league’s best split end style receivers. He has been a playmaker since he stepped on the field. His first two seasons he had 1,000 plus receiving yards with 1,070 in 2015 and 1,153 in 2016, earning him a spot in the Pro Bowl his first two seasons in the NFL. In each of his four seasons with the Raiders (2015-2018), he has recorded an average of over 12 yards per carry. In 52 total games played, he has had 225 receptions, 3,183 receiving yards, and 19 touchdowns.
In 2017 he battled a concussion and ankle injury, totaling only 48 catches for 680 yards. This season he has had another slow start with 22 catches for 280 yards in the Raiders’ first six games, but he has proven his ability as an elite receiver in the league.
The Dallas Cowboys are hopeful he will be an answered prayer to their passing game woes and offensive struggle on the road, after their fourth straight loss on the road to the Washington Redskins on Sunday. Cooper is a threat lined up wide at the line of scrimmage to advance the ball and make catches, along with beating corners on man-to-man press coverage to win downfield. He can accelerate quickly to top speed and is able to adjust well on routes, avoiding traffic by other receivers running cross routes. He works hard to make himself available to the QB, and that is what Dallas needs. On the road with poor communication, Prescott has had limited time to throw the football because of the offensive line getting beat by defensive fronts at the line of scrimmage. Having an experienced outside receiver able to break away from coverage and make himself presentable to Dak will be instrumental in strengthening the Cowboys’ passing game moving forward.
