You keep responding with "it's the salary".
Yet, your comments always include a dig on performance.
Pick a lane and stay in it.
Mike Williams just signed for over $20 million per year.
The only difference is his QB is on a rookie contract.
I agree.
I think you're going to see salaries soar all across the board.
Many good WRs will get Cooper or better contracts moving forward.
Covid sort of froze salaries and cap space (or at least limited both) the last 2 years.
But the NFL has never been stronger. New TV deal etc.
The cap will be 300 mil before long.
A top 10 WR at 20 mil is a lot easier to swallow with a 300 mil cap than with a 200 mil cap.
I just think it's foolish to allow an asset to get away for nothing (and one that cost you a 1st rounder).
You could have moved money around and restructured Coop. Trade him later if you want when his value is higher.
Now you have created another hole on the team that will need to be filled in either FA or the draft.
The Cowboys went all in when they gave Dak that contract, so to me at least, this just seems like another inconsistent move by an inconsistent FO.
Either go all in or blow it up, but they made that decision by giving Dak 40 mil per season.
I'm an NBA fan as well, and I remember a few years back the Warriors had Klay Thompson and Dray Geen coming up as UFA's. Many pundits said they were both max players (starting salary about 15 mil per year back then), and there was no way the W's could keep both. But they did, and as the cap increased both contracts became bargains. Later, people couldn't believe Klay and Dray were making 17-18 per when max guys not as good were getting 25+. They even had the cap space to add KD in FA.
I believe we will regret losing Coop for nothing.