FRISCO – Amari Cooper may epitomize a certain mindset that fans of all teams can recognize.
“We don’t want him. But you can’t have him.”
When the Washington Commanders traded for All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel in March, it seemed that the team had added the “final piece” needed to complete their talented offense and lift it to Super Bowl level.
And that very well may have happened, as the Dallas Cowboys might find themselves looking up in the 2025 NFC East standings with both Washington and the Philadelphia Eagles perched above them.
Or …
There might be reason to add some more.
With Samuel and All-Pro receiver Terry McLaurin (presently in a bit of a contract dispute) leading the way for Washington’s pass offense, there are those who believe old Dallas pal Amari Cooper would be that right “add.”
“Even though Cooper is coming off a down year largely because of injuries, he’s still a technical route-runner,” Bleacher Report writes. “Also, the veteran-savvy receiver saw a notable increase in his catch rate after the Cleveland Browns traded him to the Buffalo Bills, improving from 45.3 to 62.5 percent.
“If Cooper prefers to play with a young quarterback like Josh Allen, the Washington Commanders could be an option if the interest is mutual. With Deebo Samuel and Cooper, Jayden Daniels, the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year, would continue to ascend as one of the league’s most promising signal-callers.”
Let’s smash the brakes here.
1. Cooper didn’t have a down year “because of injuries.” That happened because he is in decline as a consistently good player.
2. Fancy “catch-rate” stats aside, the fact is Cooper was benched by the Bills once they got to playoff crunch time.
3 . B/R seems to be suggesting that Amari is going to get his “preference” when it comes to which QB he wants to play with.
Ummm. … no.
Cooper was once a star for Cowboys and the Las Vegas Raiders early in his career, and the four-time Pro Bowler has had great success against the Commanders, catching 49 passes for 815 yards and eight touchdowns in 10 career games.
Dallas doesn’t want to sign him, and never did; Amari was never considered this offseason in the same way Pittsburgh’s George Pickens was, and Pickens is now here to team with CeeDee Lamb as one of the NFL’s best tandems.
At the same time, Cowboys Nation knows that as erratic as Amari can be … he is still capable of making that one big catch, that one big play.
Should Washington look to bring in their former rival as a final piece to their offense? Maybe the Cowboys shouldn’t care. Or maybe they care just the tiniest bit.
