Jerry Jones' 6 Worst Decisions of the Past Decade

3. The Amari Cooper Trade

It has been two years since the Cowboys decided to move on from Amari Cooper. It was a surprising decision then, and it looks even worse now.

The Cowboys acquired the star wideout during the 2018 season in exchange for a first-round pick. He only fulfilled expectations after that, recording back-to-back 1,000+ receiving yards seasons, and making a Pro Bowl.

However, only three years later, Dallas traded him to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a fifth-round pick and a sixth-rounder swap. That fifth-round pick became OT Matt Waletzko.

The impetus for this move was all financial. Cooper was making $20 million per year and the Cowboys wanted to retain Michael Gallup and Dalton Schultz instead. Yes, Gallup was younger and maybe more promising but he only had one season in his career where he played anywhere near Amari Cooper's level at the time. Plus, he was coming off a torn ACL while Cooper had no prior injury history.

Choosing Gallup over Cooper continues to haunt the Cowboys to this day. They still haven't been able to find a replacement for Cooper, who is still a solid WR1, while Gallup regressed to a level where he is not a starter-caliber receiver anymore.

What makes matters worse is what other teams received for their star receivers in the same offseason. Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, and A.J. Brown all got first-rounders plus another high draft pick in trades while DeVante Parker required a third-round pick to be traded from the Dolphins. How little the Cowboys got for a similar-caliber WR was extremely disappointing.