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Whether via release or trade, Amari Cooper's tenure with the Dallas Cowboys is over...or at least, it seemed like it was over, though new reports suggest that the team could still try to restructure his deal.
Still, the likely thing right now is that the Cowboys move on from Cooper in some form between now and the fifth day of the new league year.
Where could Cooper land? Let's look at some of the rumored spots and break down what it would look like if he wound up there.
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Trade Update
On Saturday afternoon, a few hours after this article was published, Amari Cooper was officially traded to the Cleveland Browns:
If you scroll down a little, you'll find my commentary on a theoretical Cooper to Cleveland deal. If you're looking for thoughts on his hit in Cleveland, take a look!
Dallas Cowboys
Amari Cooper is currently a Dallas Cowboy, and while all signs point to him soon not being a Dallas Cowboy, we'd be remiss if we didn't at least talk about the possibility of Cooper staying in Dallas, especially with this Calvin Watkins report:
The scenario where Cooper stays in Dallas looks like this: negotiations on re-signing Michael Gallup fall through, Cedrick Wilson walks, and the team finds a restructuring deal that makes both sides happy. I don't think this scenario happens. It really sounds like the Cowboys will prioritize Gallup over Cooper because of the difference in projected salary between the two.
For the sake of argument, let's pretend he does stay. Per RotoViz, over the last two seasons, Cooper has averaged fewer fantasy points per game when Gallup was out than when Gallup played, which is a little weird. If we look just at 2021, Cooper saw almost two fewer targets per game when Gallup was out. I don't think Cooper playing in a less-crowded Cowboys receiving corps would be much better than 2021 Cooper, which is to say that he'd be a low-end WR2 with upside.
Cleveland Browns
The chatter around Cooper makes this feel like the most likely destination for him. If Cleveland is going to give Baker Mayfield another shot to prove himself, bringing in a top-end receiver would be a smart move, even though the last time that happened with Odell Beckham Jr. didn't go so well.
2019 Odell did have 1,035 receiving yards. I think a 1,000 season for Amari Cooper would be a lot more possible in Cleveland than in Dallas just because he'd see a larger share of the targets. An aging Jarvis Landry just averaged his fewest yards per game since his rookie campaign. This would be a great landing spot for Cooper in the short term, though if Mayfield struggles in 2022, that would introduce a lot of uncertainty into the future for him.
New York Jets
There isn't a specific report that links Cooper to the Jets, but Cooper to New York is one of the more talked-about destinations on social media. I get it. It makes sense, because the Jets need receiver help. Jamison Crowder, Keelan Cole, Jeff Smith and Braxton Berrios are all free agents. Corey Davis is a nice No. 2 option. Elijah Moore is promising. Denzel Mims is...pretty much a bust.
A good way of helping Zach Wilson succeed would be to bring in an established top receiver for him. Cooper would be that. In terms of fantasy, I would hate this. Playing with Davis and Moore would basically be like playing with CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup except downgrading from Dak Prescott to Zach Wilson.
Sure, Wilson could end up making a leap, but going from a QB who averaged 278.1 yards per game to a QB who averaged 179.5 yards per game would make him a definite loser when it comes to fantasy.
Miami Dolphins
Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network says that the Dolphins "have their eyes on Amari Cooper." This would fit a pattern that's been established in this article, which is teams that need a top receiver for a flawed young QB, except in Miami, Cooper would be in more of a 1A/1B situation with Jaylen Waddle.
Tua Tagovailoa averaged 204.1 yards per game last year and threw 16 touchdowns. Entering his third year, there are plenty of questions about his long-term upside. He was only 30th among NFL passers in air yards last year and 21st in adjusted yards per attempt as he mostly was a short/medium passer.
However, Tua also led the NFL in deep-ball completion percentage. He was third in accuracy rating. There are little signs with Tua that suggests he has a higher upside than Mayfield and a higher floor than Wilson. Cooper could be the missing piece that makes this offense work.
Cooper could also be wasted by the kind of offense that Miami plays. Of course, the offense under new head coach Mike McDaniel will look a lot different than the previous offense. Tua will still throw mainly shorter passes, but the play designs should open up room for his receivers to make positive plays in ways they didn't in 2021. Jaylen Waddle was the only consistently relevant Dolphins wideout last year; Cooper would give the team a pretty imposing top two.
Ultimately, I'd land about where I would with the Jets, which is "Cooper's value drops in this situation," though not as much as it would in New York. He'd be a low-end WR2 like he'd be in Dallas, but without some of the explosive upside he would have in a Kellen Moore offense.
Amari Cooper Landing Spot Prediction
So, where does Cooper end up? My money's on Cleveland. The reports pushing him that direction feel like they hold more weight than the other possibilities, and that would also be the spot where Cooper would make the most sense.
As a fantasy manager, Cooper in Cleveland would be the landing spot that I would like the most. The combination of a solid(ish) quarterback and a role as the No. 1 receiver would make him a reliable WR2 with upside.
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