FRISCO, Texas – The Cleveland Browns have landed wide receiver Amari Cooper for a 2022 fifth-round pick, according to multiple reports on Saturday. Both teams will exchange 2022 sixth-rounders.
The deal is not yet finalized; however, it should be finished by the start of the new league year. A salary cap-compliant move, creating $16 million in cap space before the start of free agency. The Cowboys wide receiver trio will look drastically different in 2022 without Cooper, who had been the club’s bona fide No.1 receiver since Dallas traded a first-round draft pick to the Raiders midway through the 2018 season for him.
The Browns have granted permission to Jarvis Landry to seek a trade and Cooper will provide the team with a proven playmaker. A wideout Cleveland’s offense desperately needs after the release of Odell Beckham Jr., who went on to win a Super Bowl with the Rams.
During Cooper’s tenure with the Cowboys, he ranked seventh in receptions among receivers (292), ninth in receiving yards (3,823) and ninth in receiving touchdowns (27), according to ESPN metrics. In addition, he made two Pro Bowls (2018,2019) with the Cowboys and eclipsed the 1,000-yard marker in three straight seasons (2018 — Raiders and Cowboys, 2019, 2020).
With Cooper’s departure, CeeDee Lamb will move into the No.1 receiver role for the Cowboys. Lamb, the team’s first-round pick in 2020, made his first Pro Bowl last season after accumulating 79 catches (team-high) for 1,102 yards and six touchdowns. Dallas gave him the illustrious jersey No. 88, confident in his capability of creating a legacy donning the Star.
The Cowboys have reportedly had discussions with Michael Gallup, who is an unrestricted free agent, on a multi-year deal. Gallup is the team’s deep threat and his ability to navigate the sideline is rare. He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Week 17, resulting in surgery in February. He is likely to command around $11 million per year and could begin the season on the physically unable to perform list. Dallas will be in play for a receiver next month in the draft during the early rounds to upgrade the position.
