Few teams know Cleveland Browns star receiver Amari Cooper as well as the Dallas Cowboys. Now, Cooper is being floated as a potential Trade candidate, raising the question of whether the Cowboys might be interested in a reunion. Though their relationship didn’t end on the best terms, Dallas is facing roster challenges, and Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS has suggested the Cowboys could acquire Cooper for a future fifth-round pick.
“If the Cowboys are still in the race, they need to flip a fifth-round pick for Cooper,” Hill wrote in a September 21, 2024, post on X.
Cooper is in the final season of a five-year, $100 million contract that he originally signed with Dallas. He was expected to have an $8.7 million cap hit this season, but the Browns restructured his deal, making him more trade-friendly.
“The Browns converted all but $1.21M of WR Amari Cooper’s 2024 salary into signing bonus, making him an extremely affordable trade candidate,” Spotrac detailed in a September 30 post on X.
Can Cooper Still Help the Cowboys?
Amari Cooper would bring familiarity to Dallas, but there’s a reason he’s surfacing in trade rumors. His production this season hasn’t matched his Pro Bowl performances, with just 16 receptions for 148 yards and 2 touchdowns through four games. Cooper posted 35 or fewer receiving yards in three of those contests, but Cleveland’s offense has struggled as a whole.
In 2023, Cooper made the Pro Bowl after posting 72 catches for 1,250 yards and 5 touchdowns in 15 starts. It’s hard to believe Cooper suddenly lost his edge during the offseason.
Dallas traded Cooper to Cleveland in 2022, swapping a sixth-round pick for a fifth-rounder. Acquiring him for a fifth-round selection now would mean Dallas would give up more than it received in that original deal.
Though Dallas has other more pressing needs, particularly on the defensive line, Cooper’s presence could address the team’s lack of production at wide receiver outside of CeeDee Lamb. With Brandin Cooks sidelined, the pressure on the receiving corps has only increased. USA Today’s K.D. Drummond recently argued that a second stint for Cooper in Dallas could be a valuable move.
“Cooper had a career high in yards in 2024, 1,250, and would make a great complement to Lamb; they’ve proven what they could be as a duo already,” Drummond wrote in a September 28 article titled, “Amari Cooper Headlines 5 AFC North Trade Targets Cowboys Must Ask About Before NFL Deadline.” If the Browns continue to struggle, a deal for Cooper might just make sense for Dallas.
