Amari Cooper was overrated here. Look at the numbers

[ondaedg]

To put it into perspective since 2018 Amari has 19 broken tackles compared to Deebo with 37 in just 3 seasons. Ja’Marr had 11 just this year. here is the real kicker though. Amari only had 235 yac this season which is abysmal for any #1 WR.

To put it into even more perspective Ceedee had 445yac and broke 12 tackles this season. Amari is never going to be a break tackle guy and needs time for his routes to develop. With defenses stopping out running game in base pass defenses he struggled to get open.

 

[ondaedg]

your going by stats bob lol so your on shaky ground with this one.

Targets...... also include passes behind, too high, too low
Similar on drops, was it a good pass or one behind ,low, or high?

All I know is rather than focus on one guy often like amari, kellen wants to spread it around, I think cowboys set a record for just that this season.
I also remember when dallas used dez as a decoy before he went downhill, and that was stupid, and I think kellen was doing that with amari.

I also know at critical times it was mostly amari who made the catches that got a 1st down and kept drives alive.

A lot of this is on kellen and his game plans , play designs, and play calling.

I guess many of you forget how dak was struggling, offense too, they got amari and it took off !
That was because they focused on getting amari the ball.
After drafting lamb jerry wanted to see him get catches, and that led to all this.

Next season we will see how this affects the offense.

Dak’s qb rating when throwing to Amari was 117… that help? Lol.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

those other qb's will try to force it in a tight window, dak wont. Its that simple.
Watch the curt warner vids on dak and kellen, and you will see they are doing things all wrong.

Why is it that Gallup and Lamb are able to match Cooper’s best season? If he were the better player, would it not show on the field?

 

[Cmac]

Overrated?......our OC has been overrated since he grabbed the tablet. Coach killer, running game killer......now a WR killer brewing.

 

[slick325]

Dallas has done a horrible job of featuring their top target. Poor play design. Poor execution. Poor effort. Anyone who watches how Kupp, Tyreek Hill, Kelse, etc., get featured despite defenses keying on them, cannot say Dallas tried or did the same for or with Cooper.

He may not be Devonte Adams, but I wish Dallas will ensure their number 1 gets opportunities like Adams does in Green Bay.

 

[The Natural]

To put it into perspective since 2018 Amari has 19 broken tackles compared to Deebo with 37 in just 3 seasons. Ja’Marr had 11 just this year. here is the real kicker though. Amari only had 235 yac this season which is abysmal for any #1 WR.

To put it into even more perspective Ceedee had 445yac and broke 12 tackles this season. Amari is never going to be a break tackle guy and needs time for his routes to develop. With defenses stopping out running game in base pass defenses he struggled to get open.

All of this was known before the team signed him to a 5 year deal worth 20 million a year.

 

[charron]

Stats aren't everything. Cooper can not throw himself the ball. If Cooper kupp was here he would never had the kind of season he did from this last year. Dak is just not the kind of QB who pushes the ball to the best guy regardless of coverage and Moore doesn't actually design plays to specifically target a guy often. People blame Cooper for not being in the game a few years back when we needed a win but forget it was the coaches rotation that pulled him and the other starter off the field. I get he might be a bit over paid but have you seen Dak without him? It's night and day and CD isn't a #1 guy. This will leave us with an often injured and over rated jarwin, maybe Gallup, CD, and some guys who are 1 trick ponies. Not to mention Zeke is not the same guy from even 3 years ago, 5 games in and he'll be averaging 3 yards a carry at best. Gearing up for a high draft pick in 2023, oh yea it'll be a fun season.

 

[Ranching]

THIS IS NOT A HATE AMARI COOPER THREAD. I like Cooper. But I also think it was a smart move for the Cowboys, both for obvious cap reasons and the fact that he was overrated here.

Now that I have that out of the way, let us count the reasons why Cooper’s release could be a good thing:

• Amari Cooper is a very good receiver. He’s an excellent route runner. BUT- he is not a great 3rd down receiver (when you need a 3rd down conversion)
  • In 2021, Cooper was 26th in the league in 3rd down receptions for a first down. For $20 mil a season, that’s not great. (Btw- Cedee Lamb was 16th)

• He’s not as much of a big play guy as he used to be- In YAC yardage, Cooper was way below avg- GET THIS- Dalton Schultz, Cedric Wilson and Tony Pollard all had better YAC numbers than Coop in 2021.
  • Cooper has never been that great in YAC numbers in his career. He’s really more of a possession receiver which makes both his price tag and his lack of big 3rd down plays a problem.
  • His last two seasons, he’s only averaging about 12 yards per reception. Again, more of a possession receiver than a big play receiver.

• He has tended to disappear in the bigger games when your big play receiver is MOST needed. Not all big games. He did have some big games. But not enough to make him a star. Here are some examples:
  • In both playoff losses Cooper played in, (2018, 2021) he averaged less than 70 yards per game.
  • In 2019’s most critical game that decided the NFC East vs Filly, Cooper had 4 receptions for 24 yds and famously stood on the sidelines in the last drive.
  • Another critical game in 2019, vs NE on the road, Coop got shut out with zero catches. (Randall Cobb and Gallup had 86 and 55 yds that day)
  • In that terrible loss against Arizona last year that cost us the #2 seed, Coop had 3 catches for 18 yds, despite 8 targets and two drops.

I’m not here to bash Amari Cooper. He’s a very good receiver. But Cowboys fans, let’s be honest. Is he a top 20 receiver in this league? NO. Not in receptions, YAC, 3rd down conversions…etc, etc. We cannot pay a WR $20 mil a season with that kind of return.

Will we miss Cooper? Maybe some. But the cap savings could provide more help at other positions without losing much on offense.

In my book letting him go is the right move.

How much football do you know?

 

[buybuydandavis]

THIS IS NOT A HATE AMARI COOPER THREAD. I like Cooper. But I also think it was a smart move for the Cowboys, both for obvious cap reasons and the fact that he was overrated here.

Now that I have that out of the way, let us count the reasons why Cooper’s release could be a good thing:

• Amari Cooper is a very good receiver. He’s an excellent route runner. BUT- he is not a great 3rd down receiver (when you need a 3rd down conversion)
  • In 2021, Cooper was 26th in the league in 3rd down receptions for a first down. For $20 mil a season, that’s not great. (Btw- Cedee Lamb was 16th)

• He’s not as much of a big play guy as he used to be- In YAC yardage, Cooper was way below avg- GET THIS- Dalton Schultz, Cedric Wilson and Tony Pollard all had better YAC numbers than Coop in 2021.
  • Cooper has never been that great in YAC numbers in his career. He’s really more of a possession receiver which makes both his price tag and his lack of big 3rd down plays a problem.
  • His last two seasons, he’s only averaging about 12 yards per reception. Again, more of a possession receiver than a big play receiver.

• He has tended to disappear in the bigger games when your big play receiver is MOST needed. Not all big games. He did have some big games. But not enough to make him a star. Here are some examples:
  • In both playoff losses Cooper played in, (2018, 2021) he averaged less than 70 yards per game.
  • In 2019’s most critical game that decided the NFC East vs Filly, Cooper had 4 receptions for 24 yds and famously stood on the sidelines in the last drive.
  • Another critical game in 2019, vs NE on the road, Coop got shut out with zero catches. (Randall Cobb and Gallup had 86 and 55 yds that day)
  • In that terrible loss against Arizona last year that cost us the #2 seed, Coop had 3 catches for 18 yds, despite 8 targets and two drops.

I’m not here to bash Amari Cooper. He’s a very good receiver. But Cowboys fans, let’s be honest. Is he a top 20 receiver in this league? NO. Not in receptions, YAC, 3rd down conversions…etc, etc. We cannot pay a WR $20 mil a season with that kind of return.

Will we miss Cooper? Maybe some. But the cap savings could provide more help at other positions without losing much on offense.

In my book letting him go is the right move.

Which receiver did teams double? Cooper. He's the guy that teams tried to take out. Comparing the production of other players to his as if they received the same attention is to miss the value of Cooper.

W/o Cooper on the field, we have a slow WR corps and no one who commands a double team. They'll probably place it on Lamb sporadically, and otherwise have an extra player to play zone against Dak.

Having said that, Cooper is getting older and is in the position of having to get back into top shape. He was just slower and not as quick last year. His best days are behind him. At this point he's not worth the contract, and we should move on.

But don't kid yourself. Cooper drawing coverage and still producing is what made the offense go. Dak and Moore will really have to up their game to be able to match the production from this year, and much of that was inflated by running up numbers against bad teams.

 

[ondaedg]

Stats aren't everything. Cooper can not throw himself the ball. If Cooper kupp was here he would never had the kind of season he did from this last year. Dak is just not the kind of QB who pushes the ball to the best guy regardless of coverage and Moore doesn't actually design plays to specifically target a guy often. People blame Cooper for not being in the game a few years back when we needed a win but forget it was the coaches rotation that pulled him and the other starter off the field. I get he might be a bit over paid but have you seen Dak without him? It's night and day and CD isn't a #1 guy. This will leave us with an often injured and over rated jarwin, maybe Gallup, CD, and some guys who are 1 trick ponies. Not to mention Zeke is not the same guy from even 3 years ago, 5 games in and he'll be averaging 3 yards a carry at best. Gearing up for a high draft pick in 2023, oh yea it'll be a fun season.

Despite my previous post I like Amari and our other WRs will struggle without him. The current blueprint is to have two stud WRs and a third guy who pushes the safeties back (ala Van Jefferson/Tyler Boyd). Ceedee isn’t big or fast enough to be a #1 on the outside.

Jerry probably watched Deebo, Ja’Marr, Kupp, and Higgins during the playoffs and became enamored with those guys on much smaller contracts.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

I don't hate Cooper but the original post is correct. He always had a handful of huge games that made his final season numbers look better than they were. Too many three-five catch, 30-40 yard games interspersed with the huge 12-140 outing once per month.

If it weren't for the team's cap crunch there's no doubt Cooper would be back. But you simply cannot justify paying a top 30 receiver top ten receiver money at this point. The Cowboys invested a first round pick on CeeDee Lamb so let's see if he can be the number one.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

Which receiver did teams double? Cooper. He's the guy that teams tried to take out. Comparing the production of other players to his as if they received the same attention is to miss the value of Cooper.

W/o Cooper on the field, we have a slow WR corps and no one who commands a double team. They'll probably place it on Lamb sporadically, and otherwise have an extra player to play zone against Dak.

Having said that, Cooper is getting older and is in the position of having to get back into top shape. He was just slower and not as quick last year. His best days are behind him. At this point he's not worth the contract, and we should move on.

But don't kid yourself. Cooper drawing coverage and still producing is what made the offense go. Dak and Moore will really have to up their game to be able to match the production from this year, and much of that was inflated by running up numbers against bad teams.

Excellent post. But Cooper really wasn't producing last year and wasn't drawing as much double coverage as we thought. The Cowboys will probably bring Gallup back to start opposite Lamb but they are going to have to pick up a speedy option either through free agency and the draft. Personally I think Lamb is ready to become the true number one so long as he overcomes the lapses in concentration he showed in 2021.

 

[Bobhaze]

How much is on Dak Prescott? I don't see that curve in the post
With a top QB, Cooper might have numbers closer to 110 catches and 10-15 TD's.
What would Josh Allen, Mahomes, Herbert, Burrow or Rodgers do with him?

We'll probably find out

Dak is certainly part of the problem. But this team is stuck with him for a while. I’m not a Dak apologist but he’s good enough to win with IMO. He’s not our biggest problem.

 

[Bobhaze]

I don't hate Cooper but the original post is correct. He always had a handful of huge games that made his final season numbers look better than they were. Too many three-five catch, 30-40 yard games interspersed with the huge 12-140 outing once per month.

If it weren't for the team's cap crunch there's no doubt Cooper would be back. But you simply cannot justify paying a top 30 receiver top ten receiver money at this point. The Cowboys invested a first round pick on CeeDee Lamb so let's see if he can be the number one.

I don’t fault Coop for anything. He is what he is. A really good/not great receiver. Jerry and Stephen were the ones telling all of us Coop was great. And they paid him like a superstar believing he was because they traded for him. They wanted it to be true and paid for it to be so.

Jerry’s GM work is more like a fan that loves his favorite players. Not a steely eyed personnel guru who knows some players aren’t as good as he hoped. I don’t “hate” Coop one bit. But he’s not as good as we’ve been sold he was.

 

[Bobhaze]

How much football do you know?

I’m just a fan with an opinion. I don’t take myself too serious.

 

[charron]

Despite my previous post I like Amari and our other WRs will struggle without him. The current blueprint is to have two stud WRs and a third guy who pushes the safeties back (ala Van Jefferson/Tyler Boyd). Ceedee isn’t big or fast enough to be a #1 on the outside.

Jerry probably watched Deebo, Ja’Marr, Kupp, and Higgins during the playoffs and became enamored with those guys on much smaller contracts.

They think CD is a #1. He's not with Dak. Hes another possession receiver like dez and that won't work with Dak. And the current coaches are as bad as the old ones having the same guys run all the same routes. CD almost always in the slot, Gallup always deep, coop always a comeback or out route. Want to get coop yac, hit him in stride on a crossing route. Either we pick receivers who can't run routes from all spots or the coaches just won't move guys around to create matchups.

 

[john van brocklin]

THIS IS NOT A HATE AMARI COOPER THREAD. I like Cooper. But I also think it was a smart move for the Cowboys, both for obvious cap reasons and the fact that he was overrated here.

Now that I have that out of the way, let us count the reasons why Cooper’s release could be a good thing:

• Amari Cooper is a very good receiver. He’s an excellent route runner. BUT- he is not a great 3rd down receiver (when you need a 3rd down conversion)
  • In 2021, Cooper was 26th in the league in 3rd down receptions for a first down. For $20 mil a season, that’s not great. (Btw- Cedee Lamb was 16th)

• He’s not as much of a big play guy as he used to be- In YAC yardage, Cooper was way below avg- GET THIS- Dalton Schultz, Cedric Wilson and Tony Pollard all had better YAC numbers than Coop in 2021.
  • Cooper has never been that great in YAC numbers in his career. He’s really more of a possession receiver which makes both his price tag and his lack of big 3rd down plays a problem.
  • His last two seasons, he’s only averaging about 12 yards per reception. Again, more of a possession receiver than a big play receiver.

• He has tended to disappear in the bigger games when your big play receiver is MOST needed. Not all big games. He did have some big games. But not enough to make him a star. Here are some examples:
  • In both playoff losses Cooper played in, (2018, 2021) he averaged less than 70 yards per game.
  • In 2019’s most critical game that decided the NFC East vs Filly, Cooper had 4 receptions for 24 yds and famously stood on the sidelines in the last drive.
  • Another critical game in 2019, vs NE on the road, Coop got shut out with zero catches. (Randall Cobb and Gallup had 86 and 55 yds that day)
  • In that terrible loss against Arizona last year that cost us the #2 seed, Coop had 3 catches for 18 yds, despite 8 targets and two drops.

I’m not here to bash Amari Cooper. He’s a very good receiver. But Cowboys fans, let’s be honest. Is he a top 20 receiver in this league? NO. Not in receptions, YAC, 3rd down conversions…etc, etc. We cannot pay a WR $20 mil a season with that kind of return.

Will we miss Cooper? Maybe some. But the cap savings could provide more help at other positions without losing much on offense.

In my book letting him go is the right move.

Agreed

 

[CowboyoWales]

I love many of your posts, but we must look at who is throwing the ball.

You and @Bobhaze are both correct. However, as Bob says it may well not be Coop's fault, it's just a happenstance that Dak is here and he's going nowhere (spilt milk, the decision's been made), we just can't afford a $22m receiver with a 65% comp.

The CAP is what the CAP is, yea would could kick the can, but I actually admire (no, understand) the route we've taken. It's a *hitshow, but we need to address the issues of the past and stop repeating them.

 

[CWR]

He was our saving grace in 2018. He played well in 2019, then we lost Dak and Dalton sucked. 2021 he started off well and the offense fell off a cliff. He's a stud wr1 in the right offense period.

Unfortunately this isn't the right offense. He has to beg for the ball here.

 

[Whyjerry]

Right and Derek Carr sux too I guess.

So Cooper needs to play with Pat Mahomes to reach his potential?

Perhaps you Dak bashers might want to look at the Dallas coaching suite and the front office for the real problem.