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Most NFL trades happen mostly because of teams getting rid of players due to not being on the same page or even dislike. The Oakland Raiders were in that same predicament with wide receiver Amari Cooper. Now that they have dealt Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys, this might be the best trade for Dallas since the Herschel Walker trade to the Minnesota Vikings.
During the 2016 season, the Cowboys looked like they were on the their way of being one of the best up-and-coming young teams. They nailed their draft with running back Ezekiel Elliott and Rookie of the Year quarterback Dak Prescott (and linebacker Jaylon Smith) who each made the Pro Bowl that year.
Being able to pair that with veteran wide receiver Dez Bryant, it seemed like they were the new triplets that teams should fear.
Two years later after a few injuries to their offensive line and without a declining Bryant on the team, the Cowboys were back to being mediocre. Dallas’ lack of playmakers on the receiving side made it harder to run the ball and difficult during third-and-long situations. This Cooper trade puts them back as an offense to be reckon with.
Both parties, Cooper and the Cowboys will be able to live up to the hype get back to the status that they
Of course, the question will be if Prescott and Cooper can get in sync but the way the third-year quarterback is starting to gel with the receivers he has now, this should be a piece of cake.
Cooper’s talent individually as a skilled receiver is not the only benefit the Cowboys will reap from. Teams will now have to schematically change their defensive game plan due to the fact that they have to respect his speed.
Teams will now have to put a safety over top the cornerback in order to protect the deep ball. This is an affect that Bryant didn’t give the Cowboys since 2016. Automatically, this takes an extra player out the box and gives Elliott more room, which makes him more dangerous.
Probably the most underrated attribute of Cooper is his ability to block down the field. Elliot is known for getting to the second level of the defense. With Cooper being able to hold his block down field, this could spark more big plays in the running game.
For Cooper, he’s never played with a dominant running game or even a decent one. Now that he’s able to take advantage of play-action pass that defenses will really have to respect, we shall finally see the God-giving talent he has been blessed with.
This gives him the opportunity to excel in fly patterns and use his best attribute, the run after the catch (RAC) ability while catching slants from Prescott.
We also have to factor in Prescott’s ability to scramble and prolong plays with his feet. The Alabama All-American didn’t quite have this luxary of extended plays as a wideout. Sure, he will have to adjust to it but in the long run, it will benefit him and Prescott.
The player that will benefit from this the most is Cole Beasley. Beasley is the quintessential slot receiver of the NFL along with New England Patriots’ Julian Edelman. This will free him up because of the attention Cooper will demand and give him ample room to work underneath which will open up Cooper later throughout the game.
Prescott now has multiple weapons in the passing game including the perfect No. 2 receiver in Allen Hurns who’s excelled in this position with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2015- 64 rec. 1,031 yds and 10 tds). Then add the jack of all trades, Tavon Austin and the emergence of rookie wideout Michael Gallup, what looked like a dismal receiving core could now make Dallas dangerous again with the balance they will have on offense.
Coupled with a young and good defense that is now starting to be the reason for the victories, this trade might catapult the Cowboys in a s0-s0 NFC East division not for just this season but for years to come if this bond stays together.
Both parties, Cooper and the Cowboys will be able to live up to the one hype of what they were viewed as during the beginning if the 2016 season. A new scenery should rejuvenate Cooper and the Cowboys offense should be able to expand the playbook which should boost the level of play in the team as whole.
