The thread I was gonna post this in was merged or deleted as I was writing it. Same topic, Amari. Where each of us are with the trade, two games and three weeks after it went occurred:
For me, I thought it was a bad trade on two fronts -- The first hang up I had was da Raidahs return, a possible top-10ish pick. That pick is incredibly valuable, and at the time of the trade, for me, Cooper wasn't worth that kind of price, as his play had regressed, production dipped, and there were other concerns floating around him. He is young, had value as a high-reward gamble, but our 1st was too rich for my blood. The news slapped me in the face. I was stunned, and it lasted for some days. On top of that, I couldn't buy into the notion that the FO knew we were gonna draft a WR with that pick, 5 months before the draft, with a full college season still to be played before the then. I thought that line was just rhetoric to help people, like myself, rationalize the trade. A regressing Carr or otherwise, I didn't see Cooper as a no-doubter
current 1WR. Or that he would ever be what he was his first two years. There's, what, ~10-15 true 1WR in the NFL at any given time? Probably closer to ten if we're being truly honest and critical about the players.
Now, with that said,
through two games with us, I think he's back on that trajectory as an elite WR. Running just exquisite routes. He is damn near breaking ankles out there. I don't remember him being
this kind of route technician in Oakland those first two years. He was dynamic, but through two games, he's wow'ing me. The talent and skill he's flashed thus far is undeniable and exciting in my eyes. And for that I feel a lot better about the price we paid. I don't like that we get zero cheep years from him, but if we landed one of the league's top 5-10 WRs for the next 4-5 years in Amari, I can live with getting no cheap years. So be it. We also have to hope and have faith that he remains focused, driven, hungry after his eventual extension. Dude is hungry right now, no denying that. He's making it work with a QB whom, on any given drive, you have no clue what your getting. Cooper's play smacks in the face from the TV.
Second issue I had was the notion that getting a supposed good WR, even true #1 in Big D, was gonna save our floundering 3-4 season, and turn us into a contender. And that a
paid Cooper was worth more to our org and future than 5 years of cheap rookie contract. No matter the position, if you hit on that first rounder, those rookie contracts are crack for a functioning, viable org. I didn't view us as contenders on trade day, and still don't... but I didn't even view us as a team that would sniff the division title and a one-and-done exit in the playoffs.
We just beat the Eagles (did you hear!?) and Cooper was a large part of it, I feel. We are back in the hunt for the NFCE crown. For now. And probably still one-and-done if we somehow happen to make it... but I didn't think we stood a chance in Philly yesterday and here we are. I thought last night was going to be the game, the Sunday night massacre, that brought wholesale changes to the Cowboys. But alas. Live to fight for our season next Sunday. Hopefully we don't go into the fetal position @ ATL... like we did @ Skins, a team that isn't good, a week after we exposed the Jags to the NFL. A week after using Dak differently. Letting him run. We didn't use Dak's legs till the fourth quarter against the Skins, but by then it was too little too late. We have Cooper now, and he will help us win, and eternal optimist in me, which has been mostly dormant this season, is starting to percolate.
I don't know how to evaluate professional athletes -- for every one I get right, I get three or more wrong -- so there's no ego about being wrong about Cooper. It's only been two games so far, but his talent is undeniable, and I believe the trade will grow on me. I want Dallas to be great again, and am more than fine suffering with the team and our fellow fans to get there, provided there's a clear vision, direction, executive leadership coming from the front office. Right now, it doesn't seem that way. And that is putting it very nicely. I am terrified of Dak, too. I was one of his most ardent supporters here for a year and half, maybe two. It's hell seeing Dak play like this. I had hoped for a 15 year starter, and through last season into this, I thought we had a chance for that in Dak. Now it's looking to be an NFL career that tops out as a good backup and nothing more, imo. The first 8 words of this paragraph, tho.
TL/DR: I don't blame ya!
