The Dallas Cowboys might not have a lot of options in free agency on the surface.
However, with a few waves of their cap wand, it is conceivable that Jerry and Stephen Jones could create upwards of $100 million in space this offseason. And if they do that, they could bring in some star power to not only help out the defense but also help Dak Prescott and the offense.
In fact, there is one player they could target, who already has a pre-existing rapport with Prescott in the passing game – wide receiver Amari Cooper.
Cooper is coming off of an up-and-down 2024 campaign with the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills and will be looking for a new deal and a fresh start in 2025. Fortunately for Cooper, at the age of 30, he still has plenty of good football left in front of him going forward.
In fact, as a 10-year veteran, Cooper is the kind of player that the Cowboys could sorely use on the offense side of the ball opposite of CeeDee Lamb, or perhaps even as a third receiver depending on what happens in the NFL Draft. The bottom line is, that Dallas desperately needs to find at least one reliable second option for Prescott, and as a player who has played multiple seasons with him already, including two of the best of his career statistically, the marriage could very well work again.
During his four seasons in Dallas from 2018-2021, Cooper racked up 292 catches on 429 targets (68 percent) for 3,893 yards and 27 touchdowns in 56 games, averaging 13.3 yards per catch. He also made the NFL Top 100 list three times and was named to two Pro Bowls. Cooper was just as productive in Cleveland after his trade from Dallas as well, catching 174 passes for 2,660 yards and 16 touchdowns in three seasons.
Suffice it to say, coming off of a season in which the Cowboys only had one true threat in the passing game in Lamb, that is the kind of production they would love to see a return to the fold.
Of course, there is the question of money, and the Cowboys’ willingness to spend it this offseason as well. Fortunately, a potential marriage with Cooper would not cost the Cowboys an arm and a leg. Per Spotrac, Cooper’s calculated value on the free agency market is $14.2 million per year, and he is projected to land a two-year deal worth around $28.5 million.
In other words, he should be available at a team-friendly price in addition to his already pre-established comfortability with Prescott and the Cowboys offense.
And that seems like a combination that might be too good to pass up for the Jones family.
