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Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J.
Brown questioned the Dallas Cowboys’ decision to trade fellow wideout
Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns for a pair of late-round draft
picks.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Saturday
the Cowboys traded Cooper and a sixth-round pick in exchange for
fifth- and sixth-round selections.
Brown is right that Cooper, who’s made
four Pro Bowl appearances, is worth far more than the trade would
suggest, but the situation was more complicated for Dallas’ front
office.
Before the deal, the Cowboys possessed
just $3.1 million in salary-cap space, per Spotrac, ahead of the NFL’s new league year, which is
scheduled to begin Wednesday.
Cooper was set to count $20 million
against the cap in 2022 as part of his five-year, $100 million
contract. The trade creates a much-needed $16 million in savings for
the defending NFC East champions.
If not for the contract situation, the
27-year-old Miami native would have likely attracted far more
lucrative offers on the trade market, though in that case Dallas
likely wouldn’t have been trying to move him. The deal is a direct
result of a need for financial flexibility.
Cooper is in line to link up with
Jarvis Landry to give the Browns a strong one-two punch in the
passing attack, though they’ll need a major bounce-back year from
quarterback Baker Mayfield to have a chance to contend in the loaded
AFC.
Meanwhile, Brown is entering the final
season of his four-year, $5.7 million rookie contract, which means
the value of the wide receiver market is important
to his future earnings.
The 2020 Pro Bowl selection should be
in line for a huge deal next offseason after recording 2,995 yards
and 24 touchdowns across his first three NFL seasons.
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