The Dallas Cowboys reportedly made a strong move hoping the scales would be in their favor as the recognizing season hangs in the balance.
According to SportsDay, Amari Cooper is set to join the Dallas Cowboys for its final nine games in the regular season. The acquisition he got from Oakland on Monday afternoon only proves the club's committee approach to the wide receiver position was an abject failure and is holding other far-ranging implications as well.
The Cowboys did not give up making the postseason; this is why they needed to surrender the first round pick in the draft next year for the 24-year-old receiver. The addition of Cooper to the team sends an inevitable message to the players and the coaching staff: "After a year of absence, ownership expects a return to the playoffs."
In the end, the consequences will not fall on Cooper if this fails to happen. The fate of the team's head coach, Jason Garrett, at the end of the season and quarterback Dak Prescott's ongoing evaluation to lead the franchise sometime in the future is also tied to the deal.
The earlier mentioned source revealed how the trade happened. After a loss to Washington, Cowboys dropped to 3-4, leading them to enter the bye week. Their inability to obtain more than 17 points for the fourth time during this season has convinced owner Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones that pushing for the moribund passing attack was needed. This was even after the opposing defense went all in to stop running back Ezekiel Elliott.
There is no denying the price is steep. Aside from giving up the first round pick in the 2019 draft, the loss still gave the club's assessment the impression that they could never find a receiver with Cooper's ability and a possible impact in April. However, this assumes a contract paying the receiver over $13.9 million next season.
The Cowboys team is entering the offseason and this will be a substantial investment for them. This will require a huge financial commitment from the franchise, if they will retain another gem: Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence.
Of course, it is unlikely anyone with the Dallas Cowboys would articulate publicly how the club overpaid just to acquire Cooper. But whether we like it or not, this is what happened on Monday. It is safe to say the club very much willing to do anything for the sake of the season seemingly slipping away. They are about to hit that reset button and stand up from a series of mistakes on personnel decisions.
