One week ago, an Amari Cooper-Dallas Cowboys reunion looked like a total pipe dream. But anyone who was dismissing the idea completely must have forgotten just how badly Jerry Jones is capable of letting fans down.
It's not his fault Tetairoa McMillan didn't fall to Dallas at 12, of course. Trading up for McMillan probably wouldn't have been prudent, so ultimately it's hard to blame him for not landing that specific wide receiver. But going through the Cowboys' full array of nine draft picks without selecting a single receiver certainly can be credited to Jones.
So now, here the Cowboys with an indistinguishable No. 2 WR spot next to CeeDee Lamb. But ultimately whether you consider Jonathan Mingo or Jalen Tolbert the frontrunner, it's obvious that this simply can't be what the position looks like in Week 1.
Cowboys' Amari Cooper Reunion Becoming Obvious
The Cowboys completely ignored what many were considering their biggest position of need in the draft. They've watched top free agents like Stefon Diggs, Cooper Cupp and Davante Adams all sign elsewhere. Even low-end veteran WR2 options like Robert Woods have been signing deals. What could explain this total inaction other than the Cowboys having a plan in mind?
I'm not saying Jerry always has a good plan, or one that makes any sense to fans, but even by his standards it would just be too baffling for Mingo to be Plan A.
And consider what happened the last time we were in a situation like this. The Cowboys had a clear need of a playmaker on offense. Fans rolled their eyes every time Dallas let a top target go elsewhere. They didn't address the need in the draft. Then they re-signed Ezekiel Elliott.
Coop's also probably not as bad an addition as Zeke was last year. He's coming off a down year, for sure, but he wasn't as bad as it seemed on the surface. He had a solid 73.4 receiving grade from PFF during his time with the Bills. He also averaged 9.3 yards per target (above his career average of 9.1). The Bills just didn't get him involved in the offense much after his midseason addition.
His receiving grade on PFF was also up over 80 in each of the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He's still just 30 years old, and it's not like we should expect him to be completely washed up at this point either.
Bringing Cooper back wouldn't absolve the Cowboys of their decision to not draft a single receiver, but it would certainly make fans feel a lot better than starting Mingo or Tolbert would.