The Dallas Cowboys stayed on brand and addressed the trenches in the early rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, drafting Alabama guard, Tyler Booker and Boston College defensive end, Donovan Ezeiruaku with their first two picks.
However, this ended up giving the team a small hole at receiver, where there is still no clear-cut WR2 behind All-Pro CeeDee Lamb.
Jalen Tolbert has produced more like a WR3 during his three years in the NFL, whilst former Panthers wideout, Jonathan Mingo, has just 585 career receiving yards over the course of his first two years in the National Football League.
Outside of a blockbuster trade for a proven commodity, like the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ George Pickens – who was reported to be a potential “expendable” asset to the Steelers last week by NFL insider, Adam Schefter – it looks like the Cowboys will have to look to the slightly lacklustre remains of the free agent market to find another starting receiver.
Thus the Fort Worth Star Telegram’s Nick Harris noted that Dallas have “building team interest” in bringing back none other than former Cowboy, Amari Cooper.
From @NickHarrisFWST on a potential reunion between the #Cowboys and….WR Amari Cooper:
“There is building team interest in bringing free agent Amari Cooper back for a reunion in Dallas, according to a Star-Telegram team source.” https://t.co/Za8mRO0VVp pic.twitter.com/8zlRIQF94F
— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) April 28, 2025
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How Close Are The Cowboys To Reuniting With Amari Cooper?
Per Harris, “There is building team interest in bringing free agent Amari Cooper back for a reunion in Dallas, according to a Star-Telegram team source.”
However, NFL insider and arbiter of reason, Jane Slater, slightly tempered expectations with regard to that specific addition.
As @NickHarrisFWST suggested Amari Cooper has absolutely been discussed internally but I am told, by a source informed, other WR’s being discussed as well and nothing definitive or happening yet.
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) April 28, 2025
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As Slater notes, Cooper is one of multiple possible receiver signings that Dallas could look to make over the coming days – and that could include turning to the trade market, per Nick Harris.
What Would Cooper Add To The Dallas Cowboys’ Offense?
Amari Cooper is not the player he was when Jerry Jones traded a first round pick for him mid way through the 2018 season. Cooper is also not the player he was when he was shipped to the Cleveland Browns for a fifth rounder back in the 2022 offseason, before putting up consecutive 1,000+ yard receiving seasons.
With 647 receiving yards to his name across games for the Browns and Buffalo Bills in 2024, Cooper is not finished by any means. And with the right pieces around him and a good scheme, it is quite conceivable we could see Cooper operate as a low to average #2 option wideout in the NFL in 2025, even if he is not the top-20 player he was considered just a year ago.
Perhaps the team would prefer a bigger name like Pickens in the trade market. But there are few players as dependable, consistent and familiar with the Dallas system as Cooper left on the open market.
