First he saved a season. Now Amari Cooper has the Dallas Cowboys thinking Super Bowl
To see how much Amari Cooper has transformed the Dallas Cowboys, look no further than the trade deadline.
The Cowboys offered a first-round pick to the New York Jets for safety Jamal Adams, which says a lot about the former Lewisville Hebron star. Though the deal didn’t happen, the Cowboys’ interest showed their commitment to go all-in for a Super Bowl title in 2019.
Had the Cowboys landed Adams, they would have traded first-round picks two years in a row. That commitment illustrates the amazing effect Amari Cooper has had on this franchise since he joined the team in a bye-week trade 16 games ago. Before Cooper, the Cowboys were reluctant to trade first-round picks after a series of bad deals.
Cooper not only saved 2018 season after coming via trade from the Oakland Raiders, but he also saved coach Jason Garrett’s job and has quarterback Dak Prescott on the verge of a contract extension in excess of at least $32 million annually.
The numbers speak for themselves.
Cooper has 91 receptions for 1,346 yards and 11 touchdowns in 16 regular-season games dating back to last season. In 2018, those numbers would’ve been good enough for Cooper to rank 10th in receiving yards and fifth in TD receptions.
The Cowboys were 3-4 when Cooper joined the team. Since then, they have an 11-5 regular-season record, including a 7-0 mark against the Cowboys’ NFC East rivals.
And the division-leading Cowboys (4-3) hope to extend that streak when they return for Monday’s game against the New York Giants following a bye.
Cooper is third in the NFL in receiving yards (621), touchdowns (five) and yards-per-target (12.4). He’s fourth in yards per game (88.7).
The Cowboys already thought of lot of Cooper when they decided to trade for him, but vice president Stephen Jones said he has been better than expected.
“I think he has exceeded expectations,” Jones said. “When he is in the game, we play better. He makes everybody better.”
Cowboys overcame bad trades
As evidence by the Cowboys’ pursuit of Adams with a first-round pick, Cooper has given the Cowboys confidence to trust again.
Stephen Jones admitted the franchise was gun shy on trading a first-round pick for a receiver because of failures with Joey Galloway in 2000 and Roy Williams in 2008.
Galloway, who was acquired from the Seattle Seahawks for first round picks in 2000 and 2001, missed all but one game in 2001. And while he played solidly from 2002 to 2004, he never had more than 61 receptions and six touchdowns in a season.
Seattle used the first-round pick in 2000 to take running back Shaun Alexander, a future league MVP. And Cowboys might have had the chance to take future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees in 2001 rather than dreadful Quincy Carter, picked 55th overall.
Even worse, the Cowboys gave the Detroit Lions picks in the first, third and fifth round for Williams, who also got a $45 million contract extension. Williams tallied 94 catches and 13 touchdowns in 40 games with the Cowboys.
“We had some tough moments trading ones for receivers,” Stephen Jones said. “It didn’t work out. Galloway and Roy Williams didn’t go our way. (Owner) Jerry (Jones) said let’s not have our No. 1 again. So we were reluctant.”
The Cowboys initially offered Oakland a third-round pick for Cooper, then a second and then two second-round picks, Jones said.
Then-Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie said the Raiders would not give him up for less than a first-round pick.
The Cowboys faced an urgent situation at receiver. There were no threats following the release of Dez Bryant and the 2019 draft class was thin at the position. So the Cowboys pulled the trigger on a No. 1 and ushered in a season-saving, franchise-altering transformation.
“He was so much better than anyone we could project,” Jones said. “He had proven he was going to be a top receiver in our league. He energized the second half of the season. He was better than we expected with us making a strong run and getting into the playoffs.
“He did that learning the system on a fly. Now he has had a full off season. Dak is better with him. He is good for Zeke. He is great for this team. He is a sure-fire No. 1 receiver.”
Says owner Jerry Jones now: “We’re proud to have Amari. He’s impactful to our team. That’s exactly what we used that pick for. He’s certainly performed to the levels that we had anticipated.”
Cooper expected greatness in Dallas
Cooper faced high expectations in Oakland after he was taken fourth overall in 2015.
He made the Pro Bowl in his first two seasons, averaging 1,112 yards per season. But in 2017, he had only 680 yards. In 2018, he had 280 yards in six games before he was traded.
He is not surprised of the turnaround in Dallas, as the change proved to be good for him.
“I wouldn’t say it’s been too far off from what I expected,” Cooper said. “I expected to come in here and be a playmaker and help this offense and help us win games. I think I’ve done some of that so far.”
It was the first week of practice after Cooper’s arrival that Prescott got a clue that something special was about to take place. His quickness left the cornerback exposed.
“I said, ‘If I throw it you got to go get it,’” Prescott recalled. “I don’t know what release he did but it looked like he walked off the ball.”
Effect on Prescott
Prescott’s play and the perception of him as a quarterback took off as well.
Last season, his passer rating was 87.4 in seven games before Cooper joined the team. In four of those games, he passed for less than 200 yards. In 16 games with Cooper, Prescott’s rating is 101.4 and he has passed for more than 400 yards in three games for the first time in his career.
“I got here and we were just able to click, and I think his game matches my game well, and sometimes it’s just like that,” Cooper said. “It’s like, I don’t know if this is a good analogy or not, [but] it’s like when you put certain foods together. Like if you put ketchup on a burger, it just tastes good together. That’s how I would describe it.”
Prescott said Cooper has made a difference on the field and in the locker room. His quiet demeanor belies his extreme confidence and competitiveness.
Receiver coach Sanjay Lal calls Cooper a great route runner and believes he has Hall of Fame potential. But he maintains Cooper is not a finished product. Lal plans to push him to greatness.
“No, he’s not elite yet: as his coach, not as a fan,” Lal said last week. “I want to make clear2 he can be and he will be.”
Lal said Cooper has the ability to dominate a defensive back on every play. Once he rounds into that, he said, defenses won’t be able to play him in man coverage.
What’s certain now: Cooper is as valuable to the Cowboys as any player on the team, including Prescott.
He is the final year of his contract and talks of extension with the Cowboys have slowed. Cooper said he prefers to wait until after the season to get something done.
The Cowboys have no intention of letting him get away.
“As far as extending him I know that no one has that type of information, because I’m the only one that ultimately makes that decision,” owner Jerry Jones said. “And I have no reason to think that Amari Cooper won’t finish his career with the Dallas Cowboys.”
This story was originally published November 1, 2019 at 2:07 PM.
