The Dallas Cowboys didn’t acquire Amari Cooper from the Oakland Raiders as a one or two-year rental. After giving away a first-round pick for Cooper, the plan goes beyond just the immediate future for the Cowboys. This was a message team vice president Stephen Jones made very clear on Monday.
As Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News revealed, Jones stated that the plan is to sign Cooper to a contract extension.
“In general, we believe we’re going to sign Amari to an extension. That goes without saying. We feel like he was worth the No. 1, and I think part of making it worth it is that we eventually sign him to an extension.” Jones told 105.3 The Fan.
The excitement around the 24-year-old receiver is unquestionably high immediately following the trade, but there are some reasons for concern. After Cooper posted back-to-back seasons of 1,000-plus receiving yards to start his career, he finished with just 48 receptions for 680 yards in 2017. Beyond that, he’s had a brutally slow start this year.
Amari Cooper’s Hit-or-Miss Start to 2018
Cooper played in six games for the Raiders before being dealt and flashed tremendous upside in two of them. In his two 100-plus yard receiving games, the former No. 4 overall pick totaled 18 receptions for 244 yards and one touchdown. The issue? His other four games resulted in totals of four catches for 36 yards with no touchdowns.
Arguably the most surprising difference in those spots is that Cooper received 21 targets in the two good games, but just 10 looks in the other four. Whether that comes down to Cooper not being open or his former quarterback Derek Carr not getting him the ball is the big question.
Regardless, the Cowboys don’t seem overly concerned about Cooper’s struggles and are hopeful he hits the ground running in his debut Monday night against the Tennessee Titans.
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Cowboys’ Sights Set on Amari Cooper Contract Extension