The Cowboys did not wait for trade deadline week to make their move, unloading a first-round pick to land Amari Cooper from the Raiders. They look to have fought off several others to acquire the fourth-year wide receiver.
Reggie McKenzie said (via Vic Tafur of The Athletic, on Twitter) he spurned initial offers, but that five teams upped their offerings until the Cowboys parted with their next first-round selection. Teams were contacting the Raiders about Cooper as early as the offseason and continued to do so during the season’s opening weeks before recent media reports accelerated the process, McKenzie said (via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Scott Bair and the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Michael Gehlken, Twitter links).
One team that was in the thick of the pursuit: the Eagles. The defending Super Bowl champions were interested in Cooper, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link) other suitors ended up being scared off by the Raiders’ first-round demand. The Cowboys’ initial offer didn’t satisfy the Raiders, either, and they weren’t the first team to ask about Cooper. But executive VP Stephen Jones called McKenzie with the first-round offer and completed the deal Monday morning.
The Jets were involved as well, with Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweeting Gang Green had some interest in a player current team brass loved coming out of the draft in 2015. Just as in the case of Khalil Mack, though, the Jets chose not to part with the kind of draft compensation a trade ultimately required. It’s unclear, however, if the Jets made an offer, per Cimini.
Both the Redskins and Colts were rumored to be interested as well. The Jets are banged up at wide receiver and don’t have much in the way of long-term options at that spot. The Eagles just paid up for Alshon Jeffery and have Nelson Agholor on the books for 2019 via fifth-year option. Cooper now stands to be on the Cowboys’ 2019 payroll via $13MM-plus fifth-year option.
What a joke! If several teams were stepping up with their offers the Raiders could’ve waited, the sad truth is nobody was going to pony up a 1st rounder until Jerrah came along and OAK couldn’t ship Cooper off fast enough. Jerrah must’ve thought Cooper was quite a value considering he once ponied up 2 first for Galloway. Nice trade Jerrah now if only we had a QB that could throw the ball 30yards downfield, and a HC that isn’t afraid of his own shadow….. ironic this trade was with OAK because Dallas has become OAK of years past with our creepy, old, meddling owner thinking his team is still relevant. Somebody get Jerrah a White Jumpsuit!
Except it was Stephen that made the deal
Ya. Stephen made the deal. Sure. Dude, it’s Daddy Fantasy Football Team not Lil Stephen’s. You don’t seriously believe that crap do you? Really?
All those teams kicked tires but didn’t even want to give up a 2nd, they just ended up driving up the price on Jerry.
None of them were dumb/desperate enough to offer a 1st though♂️
Remember Roy Williams? Rot Williams 2.0 right here.
He’s not that good
When you think about it, is there any player who has been traded over the last 2 years who the Jets HAVEN’T pursued but ended up losing out on?
Rams traded a later 1st for a better WR Cooks. Yet big Jerry thinks the Cowboys can be right there with the Rams
Cowboys got fleeced.
That was a dumb Cowboy trade. No new scenario can help a player drop passes.
Cooper has dropped 1 pass this season. 1