The Dallas Cowboys failed to address one of their biggest needs in the draft by not adding a wide receiver, but there is reportedly a chance they could bring back one of their former Pro Bowl players at the position.
The Cowboys have interest in a reunion with veteran wideout Amari Cooper, according to a report on Monday from Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Cooper is currently a free agent, and it is not yet clear if the interest with the 30-year-old is mutual.
Cooper played for the Cowboys for three-plus seasons from 2018-2021. Dallas acquired him in a trade with the Oakland Raiders midway through 2018, and Cooper immediately had a significant impact. He had back-to-back seasons with 1,000-plus receiving yards in 2019 and 2020 and established himself as one of Dak Prescott’s favorite targets.
Two of Cooper’s five career Pro Bowl appearances came when he was with the Cowboys.
The Cowboys traded Cooper to the Cleveland Browns prior to the 2022 season for a fifth-round draft pick. They have since struggled to find a reliable option behind No. 1 wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, which is why they are expected to explore both the trade and free-agent markets in the coming weeks.
After posting a career-high 1,250 receiving yards with Cleveland in 2023, Cooper had a down season last year in time spit between the Browns and Buffalo Bills. He finished with just 44 total catches, 547 yards and 4 touchdowns.
There was some speculation that the Cowboys could make a huge trade in the draft to land a wide receiver, but that did not happen. They had also been linked to former Arizona star receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who went several picks before them to the Carolina Panthers.
As of now, the Cowboys have Jalen Tobert and KaVontae Turpin as their next-best options behind Lamb. It is hard to say whether Cooper would be an upgrade at this stage in his career, though his level of familiarity with Dallas would likely help.
