Jerry Jones defends Cowboys’ decision to trade Amari Cooper
Sep 19, 2021; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys have come under increased scrutiny as wide receiver Amari Cooper has found major success with the Cleveland Browns. Dallas shipped him to Cleveland during the offseason for a 5th-round pick, and questions are being raised over whether the Cowboys gave the wide receiver away too easily.
Jones responded to that talk on Friday, one day after Cooper caught his second touchdown in as many weeks for the Browns. Jones argued that the Cowboys could better allocate Cooper’s salary elsewhere, and that they had to make the deal.
#Cowboys' Jerry Jones tells @1053thefan the issue with Amari Cooper was how much they were paying him and what they could do with that money. Says he is a good player, "top player." Asks if you want to use that money for Amari Cooper to have an offensive line or a pass rush.
— Mark Lane (@therealmarklane) September 23, 2022
Jones definitely has a point here. Wide receiver is a position of strength for Dallas, and Cooper was due to make $20 million for the Cowboys this season. Of course, there is an argument about whether the Cowboys actually wound up making better use of the money they freed up by trading Cooper for a very small return.
Optics matter to a certain degree, and the Cooper deal did not necessarily go over well in the Dallas locker room, even if the reasons were sound. The better Cooper performs with Cleveland, the more that feeling will grow.
