Amari Cooper's First 16 Games With the Cowboys Proves He Was Well Worth a First-Round Pick
By Scott Rogust
The Dallas Cowboys received plenty of flak at the trade deadline last season by sending a 2019 first-round pick to the Oakland Raiders for wide receiver Amari Cooper. Yet, Jerry Jones got the last laugh as Cooper provided a spark to the Cowboys offense as a legitimate No. 1 receiver.
After Sunday's 34-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers, Cooper officially logged 16 games with Dallas, and in total, he's recorded 98 catches for 1,408 yards, and 12 touchdowns.
That's a unanimous Pro Bowl season if we've ever seen one.
Cooper has become quarterback Dak Prescott's go-to target, and added with the explosiveness of running back Ezekiel Elliott, helped create a well-balanced offense.
Cooper continued his strong play this season. He's caught 32 of 43 targets for 512 yards and five touchdowns through five games. The fifth-year receiver out of Alabama logged the best game of his career against the Packers, hauling in 11 catches for 226 yards and two touchdowns.
The Dallas Cowboys will have a busy offseason ahead of them with both Cooper and Prescott becoming unrestricted free agents. Considering the numbers that he's logged through 16 games, the Cowboys should pay him whatever he's asking for or else they'll be in danger of losing one of the best in the game.