Amari Cooper

The Dallas Cowboys’ front office has made no secret of its claim of admiration for Amari Cooper, labeling him the team’s “No. 2” offseason priority (behind only quarterback Dak Prescott. So why do there seem so many questions – even from here inside The Star – about Cooper’s future in Dallas?

After all, he is now a perennial 1,000-yard-receiving season guy and a perennial Pro Bowler and 2019 was his best statistical campaign of all, as he posted career-high marks in receiving yards (1,189) and touchdowns (eight).

And yet … There are the weird home-and-road splits, the semi-disappearances in some cold-weather games, the injury issues (was Amari “injured” or “hurt”?!) and maybe most of all, his absence on the field in the all-important Week 16 loss to the Eagles, when the now-mostly-ousted coaching staff opted to rotate/bench him in a clutch moment.

Amari’s desire to be here is clear.

“I want to be here,” Cooper told us recently. “I like it here, plain and simple. I like my situation on the team. (Dak Prescott) being the quarterback, my teammates, where I live, everything.”

It is indeed Dallas’ plan to re-sign one of their very best players. “The answer to that,” owner Jerry Jones said at season’s end, “is ‘yes.”

But is there another “desire” problem? Per a report from our 105.3 The Fan colleague Bryan Broaddus, there are people inside the building who worry that Amari’s level of “desire” doesn’t mesh with the idea of paying him $20 million APY … or maybe even of tagging him at $16 mil to $18 mil for 2020.

NFL.com has posted a column from a writer who suggests “top landing spots” for Oakland’s 2015 first-round pick. He writes about the Cowboys being the top bet (of course, as Dallas can use one of the aforementioned tags on Cooper to keep him if negotiations go sour).

But he also writes there, “New coach Mike McCarthy loves a talented playmaker on the perimeter and will make it his mission to get that competitiveness and fire out of Cooper.”

As his No. 2 team to chase Cooper, he mentions the Philadelphia Eagles and notes that Amari’s “production doesn’t always match his crazy ability.” He lists the Buffalo Bills as the No. 3 possibility and then gets to the Denver Broncos, where he said Cooper “would do well in a situation where he doesn’t have to be the No. 1 guy.”

Finally the author links Cooper with No. 5 possibility the Arizona Cardinals. And again, his touting of Cooper comes with a slap, as he writes, “Cooper can run any route, and his physical ability is off the charts, but he really needs to learn how to play the position in all aspects, from blocking to competitiveness to playing every down full-out.”

So Amari Cooper is plagued by a lack of “competitiveness and fire,” an inability to be “the No. 1 guy” and ignorance as how to “play the position in all aspects, including (again) ‘competitiveness’?””

We could try to dismiss this criticism by noting that the author is the former NFL quarterback David Carr. Whose brother is Derek Carr. Who plays for the Raiders team that gave up on Cooper and in the process seemingly spread rumors about his “lack of desire.”

Or we can report an inside-The-Star truth: As Broaddus suggests, there are Cowboys decision-makers who are raising the same questions that Carr is noting. That Amari’s flaws – to put them into one sentence, “a passive-aggressiveness off the field and a lack of aggressiveness on it” – are very real.

And that before the Jones family starts writing checks of $16 mil or $18 mil or $20 mil to Amari Cooper, they’d like to get some answers to these very real questions.

Midseason in 2018, the Dallas Cowboys were 3-4 and in desperate need of a spark, especially on offense. Owner Jerry Jones made a move that at first raised some eyebrows because of what the Cowboys gave up to make it happen. Nonetheless, the Cowboys gave up their 2019 first-round pick to acquire Wide Receiver Amari Cooper from the Oakland Raiders, and the team took off.

In the Cowboys final nine games, they went 7-2 and stormed all the way to the NFC East title. In addition to All-Pro Ezekiel Elliott leading the league in rushing over that span, Cooper was outstanding as well with 53 receptions for 725 yards and six touchdowns. During that stretch, however, there were some ups and downs. In weeks 12-14, Cooper was incredible hauling in 26 receptions for 473 yards and five touchdowns. Unfortunately, his season didn’t end on a high note as he only registered 13 receptions for 83 yards and no touchdowns in weeks 15-17. Even with that being said, Cooper was selected to his third Pro Bowl in his first four years.

In 2019, Cooper was once again big time. He set career highs in receiving yards (1,189), touchdowns (8), and yards per catch (15.1). However, like the year previous, there was some inconsistency. He had four touchdowns in the first four games, but simultaneously, he also had under 50 yards in two of them. The next five games were spectacular as Cooper racked up 562 yards and three more touchdowns. The end the Cooper’s season, though, wasn’t anything to brag about. In the final seven games, Cooper failed to reach 100 yards in any of them and only scored one touchdown. The lowest point of this stretch came in Week 12 vs the New England Patriots when he was completely blanked from the stat sheet. Even still, Cooper made his fourth Pro Bowl in his first five seasons.

Cooper dealt with his share of injuries in 2019. Knee and quad issues as well as plantar fasciitis, which can’t fully heal while playing, plagued the Cowboy’s top receiving option. The key thing, however, is Cooper toughed it out and didn’t miss any games.

Why do you still want Cooper on your team? In his 25 games with the Cowboys, he has 132 receptions for 1914 yards and 14 touchdowns. Also, his chemistry with Quarterback Dak Prescott can’t be denied as the two have connected at a 67.7% rate since they started playing with one another. Who wouldn’t take that on their team?

Maybe the biggest reason is the more effective he is it doesn’t allow defenses to key in on Ezekiel Elliott, who’s the engine that makes the Cowboys go. Now, your offense is two dimensional and keeps defenses honest throughout the game. The more defenders are on their heels the more you can control the clock and keep your defense fresh for four quarters. It’s not chess not checkers.

Cooper has made it clear that Dallas is where he wants to be, and he reiterated that recently:

“I love it here. I love everything about this area, the place I live,” Cooper told ESPN’s Todd Archer at the Pro Bowl in Orlando.

Also, he thinks there’s another level that he and Prescott can get to as a duo:

“I think he and I are a very important part of this team and very important pieces in terms of wins and losses,” Cooper said. “I think we can really take over games together, and if we do that consistently, then it’ll be really hard to stop us and be really hard for us to lose.”

You take the good with the bad with Cooper because there’s far more good than bad. Even with the highs and lows, he’s made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons in Dallas and he’s been on the field in uniform for every game as well, your best ability is availability.

Copper will be the team’s top priority once Prescott is secured long-term. He’s proven the Cowboys were smart to give up a first-rounder to get him, now it’s just a matter of getting the right figures in place to keep him for the foreseeable future as he approaches free agency. If I was a betting man, I’d put my money on the Cowboys locking up Cooper before the 2020 season.

Cooper says he got away from his fundamentals during a less productive finish to the 2019 season.

Amari Cooper believes, with better fundamentals, he can produce a more complete season in 2020.

He wants to do so in Dallas.

The wide receiver is one of 24 Cowboys players scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on March 18. Like quarterback Dak Prescott, Cooper figures not to reach the open market, given his candidacy for an extension. NFL clubs have until March 10 to place the franchise or transition tag on any player whose market entry it seeks to block with a premium one-year contract.

A day after one Cowboys season ended, Cooper sounded Monday like someone planning to be part of another. He spoke about the impact he and Prescott together can have on the organization’s on-field success and also the receiver duo he and Michael Gallup can form in the future.

“I want to be here,” Cooper said in the team’s locker room. “I love everything about this area, this team, the place I live. I don’t feel like I have anything to complain about in this situation.”

When it comes to his 2019 campaign, though, Cooper finds reason to nitpick.

He caught 79 passes for a career-high 1,189 yards and eight touchdowns. Those are fine numbers by most measures. But like the team itself in an 8-8 campaign, Cooper’s production was far too inconsistent. Injuries don’t excuse how his impact fluctuated from the course of the season. For the record, Cooper said Monday he was healthier during the second half of the season than he was the first.

In the first nine games, he caught 53 of 71 passes for 848 yards and seven touchdowns. He ranked third in the NFL in yardage.

In the final seven, he caught 26 of 48 for 341 yards and one score. His yardage tied for 37th in that span.

“I wouldn’t say I hit my potential this season, even though it’s a career high in yards and touchdowns,” Cooper said. “I thought I could have accomplished a lot more. But I didn’t. It’s just a good reason to be able to go back to the drawing board and work my butt off this offseason. In a way, it can be a good thing because now I know, coming into next year, it’s actually something that I can top because I know for a fact that, down the stretch this season, I didn’t perform at a level in which I know I can perform.”

If health wasn’t the issue, that begs the question: What was?

Cooper offered his need to devote more attention on basics. His production fell off following a game against the Minnesota Vikings in which he made three high-difficulty catches along a sideline while totaling 11 receptions for 147 yards and a score.

“Sometimes when you’re having success, you tend to lose focus on the little things that you need to do to keep playing well,” Cooper said. “For example, if you catch a lot of balls early on, it starts to feel like that’s just what you do, that’s just who you are instead of realizing the reason you’re able to catch all those balls is because you’re focusing on the fundamentals. You’re looking the ball all the way through and stuff like that. When it becomes routine, you stop doing those things. …

“You can never really get away from the fundamentals of anything that you’re doing. That’s just something that I think I can be better at. Next season, for example, if I start off great, I feel it would be real helpful if I remind myself, ‘Hey, stay focused. Stick to the fundamentals.’ Like I said, that’s something I think I can get better at.”

Amari Cooper has played through a number of injuries this season, but the latest one doesn’t appear to be serious.

According to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, the Cowboys wide receiver had an MRI on Friday, after he took a hit to his left knee late in last night’s loss to the Bills.

The tests showed no structural damage, which is good news for the Cowboys leading receiver.

He’s dealt with heel, ankle, knee, and quadriceps injuries this season, but has stayed on the field throughout.

Having a long weekend off before they have to prepare for next week’s game against the Bears should help, but they can’t afford to be without him now.

Dallas on Thursday traded with New England for Michael Bennett, adding depth to the defensive line.

In the last six months, the Cowboys made impactful trades in a sport that doesn’t embrace them. But the NFL is changing, becoming more like the NBA and MLB as the trade deadline approaches. With the deadline coming up Tuesday, fans must keep refreshing their social media feeds to make sure they’re not missing anything when it comes to their favorite NFL team.

This year, we’ve seen 17 trades since Sept. 1, and we’re not at the deadline yet. Last year, NFL teams made 18 trades from Sept. 1 to the trade deadline on Oct. 22, which included the Cowboys sending a first-round pick to Oakland for Amari Cooper.

Teams are upgrading their rosters or acquiring draft picks. Players, in some cases, have no choice in the matter, but others force their way out of situations for new opportunities.

Dallas has taken advantage of these with some key trades, such as with Robert Quinn, who was dealt from the tanking Miami Dolphins, and Thursday’s deal with the Patriots. Michael Bennett, unhappy with his current role, was sent to the Cowboys.

With that, we examine the last five trades the Cowboys have made and whether they were beneficial.

Oct. 24, 2019: Michael Bennett for conditional seventh-round pick

After serving a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, the Patriots decided it was time to move on from defensive end/tackle Michael Bennett. They sent Bennett to the Cowboys, acquiring a 2021 conditional seventh-round pick that could get elevated to a sixth-round selection if certain provisions are met. Bennett had served the suspension after getting into an argument with defensive line coach Bret Bielema. And there is one thing Patriots coach Bill Belichick can’t stand: confrontational players who don’t produce. Bennett wasn’t a good fit in the Patriots’ 3-4 scheme playing just end. In the Cowboys’ 4-3 scheme, he can play under tackle and end, where rushing the passer is his main responsibility. On the surface, this seems like a good deal. Bennett is signed through 2020 with a base salary of $7 million.

GRADE: B (with the possibility of getting lower if it doesn’t work out)

March 29, 2019: Robert Quinn for sixth-round pick

The Cowboys were looking to upgrade their defensive line and the Dolphins wanted to shed veteran talent as they began a rebuild. In his lone season with the Dolphins, defensive end Robert Quinn had 6 ½ sacks and 15 quarterback hits in 16 games. But with the Dolphins going in a different direction, it was time to move along. Trade talks for Quinn stalled for a moment in the offseason and there were concerns about whether his back could withstand a 16-game season again. Quinn was also a player who raised his fist during the national anthem to protest social ills against people of color. Jerry Jones was firm in his belief that players shouldn’t kneel during the national anthem or, in his mind, cause distractions with other displays of protests during the playing of the song. Eventually, the Cowboys made the deal, sending the Dolphins a sixth-round pick in 2020. And Quinn, outside of a two-game suspension for PEDs, hasn’t raised a fist during the anthem and, in five games, leads the Cowboys with six sacks. The Cowboys have praised his professionalism, and now that they’ve lost defensive end/tackle Tyrone Crawford for the season to hip surgery, the acquisition of Quinn is looking like a smart move.

GRADE: B

Oct. 22, 2018: Amari Cooper for first-round pick

When the Cowboys decided to cut wide receiver Dez Bryant, they went into the 2018 season without a true No. 1 wideout. They were hoping the talent at the position would get them through the season. A trade for Tavon Austin, signing Allen Hurns in free agency, drafting Michael Gallup and asking more of Cole Beasley wasn’t enough. So after a loss in Washington, the Cowboys elected to give up a 2019 first-round pick to the Raiders to get Amari Cooper. His impact was immediate and he was one of the reasons the Cowboys went from a 3-5 start to winning the NFC East. A year after the trade, the numbers speak loudly when it comes to what Cooper means. After 16 games, he has 91 catches for 1,346 yards with 11 touchdowns. His route running and catch ability are marvels to watch this season. So what did the Raiders do with that draft pick? They drafted a safety, Johnathan Abram from Mississippi State, with the 27th overall pick. Would the Cowboys have drafted Abram? Maybe. They had a chance to draft a safety in the second round but instead grabbed defensive tackle Trysten Hill, continuing their fan base’s frustration when it comes to finding a play-making safety. As for the Cooper deal, his production more than makes up for that. The only uncertainty is the future, as he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2020. The Cowboys have held contract talks with his agents but haven’t reached a deal. Jones has said he expects Cooper to remain with the Cowboys long-term.

GRADE: A

Aug. 31, 2018: Parker Ehinger for Charvarius Ward

In acquiring guard Parker Ehinger from the Kansas City Chiefs for cornerback Charvarius Ward, the Cowboys were looking for depth along the offensive line. Ehinger’s time with the Cowboys was short — he was placed on injured reserve that September and released this past spring. Ehinger was then signed and released by Jacksonville and Arizona. He currently sits on the Baltimore practice squad. As for Ward, the undrafted free agent from Middle Tennessee State, he has made an impact. He’s started seven games as the left cornerback and has 31 tackles, one forced fumble and two interceptions. It would have been hard for Ward to make the Cowboys’ roster, but he’s making an impact with the Chiefs.

GRADE: C

April 28, 2018: Tavon Austin for a sixth-round pick and Jihad Ward for Ryan Switzer

This is a double. On the third and final day of the 2018 draft, the Cowboys made two trades. They sent a 2018 sixth-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams for slot receiver Tavon Austin and also sent wide receiver Ryan Switzer to Oakland for defensive tackle Jihad Ward. Obtaining Austin was meant to add speed in the return game and on offense, particularly from the slot. The Cowboys also had a goal of using Austin in different spots of the formation to create matchup problems for defenses. Ward was snagged for depth. He displayed flashes in training camp but was released. Austin ended up playing just seven games last season because of a groin injury. He finished with a career-low eight catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns. When healthy, it was evident Austin’s speed could help the Cowboys. He returned in 2019 and despite just eight catches for 90 yards so far, he had one of his best games in his short time with the Cowboys last week against the Philadelphia Eagles. He gained 20 yards on a nifty misdirection run play, showing the Cowboys why his speed is so useful. If he remains healthy, Austin can be a weapon. Switzer never played for the Raiders. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers that summer and has played in 22 games in two seasons.

GRADE: C

This is good news for a Cowboys team facing a talented Saints team, and in one of the NFL’s most hostile environments

Amari Cooper will be on the field when the Dallas Cowboys visit the New Orleans Saints in Week 4, and it’s likely Xavier Woods might return to join in the war effort. Cooper underwent an MRI this week on what was described as a sore ankle, and while the test results were negative, the Cowboys scaled back his workload in practice as a precaution.

On Friday, owner Jerry Jones more or less made it plain that Cooper would be ready to play, and the three-time Pro Bowler also participated in the final practice of the week.

“Yes, I feel very good about that,” Jones said. “His ability to push off, his ability to do anything, I think we’re in good shape.”

That’s not the only good news the team has gotten this week.

Woods suffered a high ankle sprain in the waning moments of the Week 2 victory over the Washington Redskins, and was subsequently sidelined when the team hosted and defeated the Miami Dolphins. Initial reports were that Woods could miss upwards of 4-6 weeks with the injury, but that wasn’t something the Cowboys subscribed to. A source with knowledge of the situation advised me early on that the team would take a week-to-week approach with their star safety, and there was a very real belief he could return before the month of September met its end.

Jones later confirmed that stance, explaining how Woods’ youth and position would actually aid in a speedy recovery.

“You had it right until you said ‘serious,'” Jones told 105.3FM the Fan when news of the injury broke. “He’s young. He might be able to move on it pretty good at that position. Some positions have a tougher time — defensive linemen and those sorts of things. …Only the Guy Upstairs knows how much time he’s going to miss.”

As it turns out — not much.

Woods returned to practice in a limited capacity on Wednesday and looked good, allowing head coach Jason Garrett and the Cowboys to ramp up his workload a bit on Thursday; and he also took part on Friday. Although he was still listed as officially limited during the week, the reality was he made progress over the last three days and has a growing chance at taking the field for Sunday Night Football. Shortly following the 31-6 win over the Dolphins in which Darian Thompson took the starting reins at free safety in the absence of Woods, team exec Stephen Jones noted he’d be “very surprised” if the latter wasn’t in tow against the Saints.

While no official statement has been made, a separate source tells me that — as of Friday — there’s “no reason” Woods would be inactive on Sunday.

While Thompson played solid football in his stead, Woods is off to arguably the strongest start of his young career. Even without Drew Brees on the field, the Cowboys are laser-focused and not overlooking Teddy Bridgewater and the Saints offense. A key part of escaping Mercedes-Benz Superdome with a win will be the play of the safety unit, and that means if Woods is good to go — they’re odds of going 4-0 increase quite a bit.

Expect the final decision on his status to be made well before kickoff, if it hasn’t indeed been made already.

Cooper is dealing with an intrinsic muscle strain in his left heel area.

Amari Cooper took it slow Monday to begin his first practice since Aug. 3.

The Cowboys wide receiver jogged in gray sweatpants, easing his way in and out of breaks on a warm morning. He thought about his left heel, which he injured during training camp. He thought about how he was moving, how he was cutting on the outdoor turf.

By the end of practice, his thought process changed.

All signs are a go for Cooper to start Sunday’s season opener against the New York Giants. He reported a pain-free session, the latest piece of optimism surrounding his gameday status.

Cooper is dealing with an intrinsic muscle strain in his left heel area. The sense around the Cowboys’ headquarters in recent weeks has been that he’ll be ready for Week 1.

“Obviously, I (generally) cut really hard and stuff like that, which is hard to do with a foot injury,” Cooper said Monday afternoon. “But I pushed it as the day went on because it’s just something about going against defense and live reps that just make you kind of forget about everything else and just want to win. So, I think that was the best thing that could’ve happened, just me going out there and practicing today.”

Cooper missed the entire preseason.

That means he must not only recapture his individual rhythm this week but his rhythm with quarterback Dak Prescott. The Cowboys won’t practice Tuesday before resuming sessions Wednesday through Friday and holding a Saturday walk-through.

Being sidelined for nearly a full month is not ideal.

How he felt Monday, however, was close to that. Cooper thinks he is “good” for Sunday, he said.

“I did a good amount,” Cooper said of his practice activity level. “I didn’t do everything, but I did enough. …I will say, I didn’t feel any pain today. But then again, I didn’t do everything that I’ll do in a game. …Doing things that I haven’t done in a while as far as cutting like I did today, (how I feel) tomorrow will be telling.”

Amari Cooper has set a goal for himself to reach 2,000 receiving yards this coming season. Could he actually do it? Let’s take a look at the numbers.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper set a lofty goal for himself for the upcoming NFL season. Cooper wants to reach 2,000 receiving yards. As a Cowboys fan, I love the goal. However, I can only wonder if it’s actually achievable. 2,000 receiving yards is no easy task, but could he actually do it?

The quick answer to the question is no. For starters, no WR in NFL history has ever recorded 2,000 receiving yards in a season. The player who’s come closest to the 2,000 yard mark is Calvin Johnson, who reached 1,964 yards in 2012. Second on that list is Julio Jones, who recorded 1,871 yards in 2015. Rounding out the top five is Jerry Rice (1,848), Antonio Brown (1,834) and Isaac Bruce (1,781).

Unless you ask an unrealistic Cowboys fan or Amari Cooper himself, Cooper isn’t anywhere near the same level as those in the top five. Cooper is a good receiver, but he’s not one of the greatest off all-time at the position.

Based on the fact that not one WR in NFL history has ever reached this mark and the names on that list, the quick answer is no. However, I want to get a more solid answer. I want an answer based on the numbers.

Before we break down Cooper’s career numbers, keep in mind that in order for him to reach 2,000 receiving yards, he has to average 125 receiving yards per game over the course of the 16 game regular season.

Amari Cooper by the numbers

Career stats: 278 receptions for 3,908 yards, 25 TDs and an average of 64.1 receiving yards per game.

The first thing I notice from Cooper’s career numbers through four seasons, is that he hasn’t recorded 4,000 receiving yards yet. Cooper hasn’t even averaged 1,000 receiving yards per season, yet he’s trying to reach 2,000 in one season. Seems a little out of reach if you ask me.

Going back to the average of 125 receiving yards per game, let’s take a look at how many games of 125 yards or more Amari Cooper has throughout his career.

2015: 2

2016: 4

2017: 1

2018: 3

Total: 10

In order for Amari Cooper to reach his goal of 2,000 yards receiving, he has to average 125 yards per game, yet he has just 10 games in which he’s done so in four years. Doing that in 16 straight games might be a little tough.

So, not only is the quick answer no, but the statistical answer is also no.

Again, it’s a great goal for Cooper to have. It’d be great for him (in a contract year) if he actually did reach this goal, but I just don’t see it as being attainable, especially with the way the Dallas Cowboys run their offense through Ezekiel Elliott.

Then again, you never know what can happen. Maybe Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper light it up this year. All we can do is wait and see.

Amari Cooper’s Fantasy value improved after being traded to the Cowboys last season. Jamey Eisenberg caught up with Cooper this offseason and looks at his outlook for 2019.

Throughout the 2018 offseason, whenever Raiders coach Jon Gruden was asked about Amari Cooper, he usually repeated some form of the same phrase. At the time, Cooper was expected to be the No. 1 receiver in Oakland.

Gruden said, multiple times, that Cooper was going to be “the main vein of our pass offense.” Only that never happened.

Cooper played six games for Gruden in 2018, and only twice did he have more than five targets. In those two games (Week 2 at Denver and Week 4 against Cleveland), Cooper averaged 10.5 targets and scored at least 21 PPR points, so it might have made sense for Gruden to feature Cooper more often.

Thankfully, that happened in Dallas after the Raiders traded Cooper to the Cowboys in October for a first-round NFL Draft pick. In 11 games in Dallas, including the playoffs, Cooper had at least seven targets nine times. He averaged 10.4 targets a game with the Cowboys, and he scored at 13 PPR points seven times.

So why didn’t Gruden make Cooper the main vein of his passing attack like he promised?

“I don’t know,” Cooper said in an interview with CBS Sports at the Pro Bowl. “I don’t know his state of mind. I can’t really call it.”

Fantasy players benefited in a big way once Cooper went to Dallas. And now, heading into the start of the 2019 campaign, Cooper is a borderline No. 1 Fantasy receiver worth drafting toward the end of Round 2 or beginning of Round 3 in all formats.

While Cooper is dealing with contract talks this offseason — he’s a free agent after this year — he’s expected to report to training camp and be ready to go. He’s looking forward to building on what he started once he put the star on his helmet.

Cooper is ready to be a star for Fantasy players.

“Thank God I was able to go in and make a contribution,” Cooper said. “I would say it was a pretty good start.”

Cooper had to learn the Cowboys offense on the fly last season, and he had to develop a rapport with quarterback Dak Prescott right away. Now, the two have a full offseason to get to know each other, and that should help Cooper in a big way.

Prescott said in an interview with CBS Sports that he has high expectations for Cooper this season, especially after how quickly the two bonded last year following the trade.

“It was a lot of mental work,” Prescott said at the Pro Bowl. “It wasn’t as much as you think getting on the field as it was sitting next to each other and talking. When you have a guy like Amari who studies the game as much as he does and wants to learn and runs routes like he does, he makes that chemistry easy.”

Added Cooper about Prescott: “We were able to learn each other really fast. We had to. Now, we’re going to be able to spend the offseason with each other to pick each other’s brain and further our game even more.”

Prescott’s Fantasy value also improved dramatically once the Cowboys acquired Cooper. In the 11 games together, including the playoffs, Prescott scored at least 21 Fantasy points six times. He averaged 21.5 Fantasy points with Cooper on his side. In seven games without Cooper, Prescott averaged 17.4 Fantasy points.

Prescott is an excellent Fantasy quarterback to wait for on Draft Day with a late-round pick, and he’s a low-end starting option in all formats. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said at the NFL’s annual league meetings that he’s looking forward to seeing Prescott’s progress this season.

“One of the great things about him is he’s always working so hard at getting better,” Garrett said. “He’s focused on understanding the game better, becoming better physically, technically — all of those things. He’s a driven guy. He works as hard as anybody in our building. We’re lucky to have him, and he’ll continue to grow in all areas in the course of his career.”

The Cowboys gave Prescott additional weapons this offseason with Randall Cobb signing as a free agent to replace Cole Beasley, who went to Buffalo, and Jason Witten came out of retirement. Cobb and Witten aren’t worth drafting in most Fantasy leagues, but they should help Prescott improve.

You already know Ezekiel Elliott is a star — he’s the potential No. 1 overall pick in all Fantasy leagues — and Michael Gallup is worth a late-round flier in his sophomore campaign. Gallup is worth drafting as a sleeper in deeper formats, and he had either a touchdown or at least 100 receiving yards in three of his final four games last year, including the playoffs.

But Cooper is the main vein of the Dallas passing attack. He’s a standout Fantasy receiver, and he should earn a big payday with a strong season in 2019.

The Cowboys are thrilled to have him, and they will feature him prominently. That’s something Fantasy owners will enjoy.

The joke has been repeated too many times to count, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

Without a first-round pick in this year’s NFL draft, Cowboys officials have quipped that they’ll spend the evening watching Amari Cooper highlights. Whether or not they actually fire up Cooper’s game tape remains to be seen, but it doesn’t make the compliment any less flattering.

“It feels good. It’s motivating, as well,” Cooper said last weekend. “It makes me want to continue to put together some good games, to play good, to be consistent for the team and just kind of prove Jerry right.”

It’s still a small sample size, but Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones looks awfully right to this point. The Cowboys sent their first-round pick to Oakland in exchange for Cooper last October, and he played his way into the Pro Bowl in just half a season.

Over the course of 11 games with Dallas, Cooper finished with 66 catches for 896 yards and seven touchdowns, helping the Cowboys into the second round of the playoffs in the process.

While it might still hurt that they don’t have their first-round pick, it seems doubtful their No. 27 selection would be capable of making a similar impact. That’s an opinion chief operating officer Stephen Jones seemed to agree with.

“I think you’d be hard-pressed to find anybody that would’ve made a difference on our roster like Amari made last year and like we feel like he’s going to make as me move forward,” he said.

That does raise an important point, though. As helpful as Cooper’s addition might have been, he’s already in line for a pay day. The 2019 season will be the fifth year on his rookie contract and is scheduled to pay him $13.9 million in salary. By next March, the three-time Pro Bowler will need a massive contract extension.

As intriguing a conversation as it might be for Cowboys fans, Cooper said he’s not sweating the situation too much. He said Saturday he’s had a few talks with his agent, but his priority is more about his play than those discussions.

“I’m not really worried about it that much,” he said “I’m more focused on actually playing and really earning the respect, and then the contract.”

Fortunately for Cooper, it seems like he has already earned plenty of respect around the organization. The Cowboys traded for Cooper knowing he was headed into a contract year. Given the amount of success he has already had, the front office has not been shy about discussing their plans to pay him.

“That’s probably part of the reason I’m not really worried about it,” Cooper said. “They’re active about it, like you said – they want to get it done. It’s not a thing to where they’re saying ‘I don’t know if we want to re-sign this guy.’ So I’m not really worried about it.”

Whenever he eventually gets his deal, Cooper will become one of the cornerstones of the Cowboys’ roster – right along with Dak Prescott. With both quarterback and receiver expected to sign on for the long-term, the only question will be how much they can improve.

With his feet planted firmly in Dallas, Cooper is optimistic about the answer.

“We can go nowhere but up,” he said. “We’ve been practicing, we’ve been throwing. I know him a lot more, I know how he likes to throw the ball, he knows how I like to run my routes. And so I feel like we’re getting better.