The Dallas Cowboys upset some people by not taking a wide receiver in this year’s draft. Whether it was Tetairoa McMillan not falling to the Cowboys at 12, or if they didn’t feel better about the receivers on the board as opposed to their picks, the Cowboys still have a void to fill at wide receiver and might look for a reunion with a 5-time Pro Bowler.

Amari Cooper remains a free agent, and after spending four seasons in Dallas, Cooper could be a viable option to add to the receiving room, but should Dallas make this move?

Amari Cooper initially came to Dallas at the 2018 trade deadline in exchange for a first-round selection (27th overall, Johnathan Abram), and the excitement was palpable. Cooper immediately contributed in big games against their rivals, Washington on Thanksgiving (8 catches, 180 yards, 2 touchdowns), and against Philadelphia (10 catches, 217 yards, 3 touchdowns). Cooper’s arrival helped Dallas lock down an NFC East crown at 10-6 and a playoff win in the wild card round against the Seattle Seahawks.

Over three-and-a-half years with Dallas, Cooper posted 292 catches, 3,893 yards, and 27 touchdowns across 56 games. Cooper was available on gameday and could contribute as the #1 option. Fans often remember the team drafting Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb, once having a three-headed monster.

Cooper’s stats would decline each year, going from 80.6 receiving YPG in his first half-year with Dallas to 57.7 YPG in his final year in 2021. The Cowboys would make the difficult decision to part ways, trading Cooper to the Cleveland Browns for a fifth-round selection (Matt Waletzko).

Amari Cooper bounced back and, despite inconsistent quarterback play, posted back-to-back thousand-yard seasons, a career-high 9 touchdowns in 2022, and was Cleveland’s number one option.

2024 was an odd outlier year for Cooper. Cooper would be traded to the Buffalo Bills midseason, and between the Browns and Bills, he posted 44 catches, 547 receiving yards, and 4 touchdowns. Across the board, these were all career lows for him.

Some could suggest Amari Cooper is hitting the dreaded 30-year-old decline for wide receivers. Cooper turns 31 in June, and receivers usually decay when they hit that mark. For whatever reason, 2024 was not his year. Playing with the Cleveland carousel of quarterbacks, to getting inserted into a new offense in Buffalo, might have just not been a good schematic fit for the veteran receiver. Perhaps returning to familiar territory would be good for Cooper to spend the next few years playing at a high level.

Insert the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys traded Amari Cooper because they were transitioning into CeeDee Lamb as the #1 option and couldn’t pay everyone. Once a three-headed monster in Dallas, it is now just one brave knight who gets double-teamed every play. Lamb is the clear-cut #1 option, but he needs a solid two to draw some attention to the other side of the field. Amari Cooper would draw that attention.

Amari Cooper already has chemistry with Dak Prescott from his time in Dallas. For any receiver to be successful, especially at this stage of their careers, it helps to have an established connection with the quarterback throwing them the ball. Cooper thrived with Prescott, and this reunion could be healthy for both parties.

Amari Cooper is also a veteran wide receiver. If you look at the core in Dallas now, Cooper would be joining Jalen Brooks (24), Jonathan Mingo (24), Ryan Flournoy (25), Jalen Tolbert (26), and return specialist Kavontae Turpin (28). If the Jones family is serious about developing one of these receivers into a great #2 option, it starts with a decorated veteran coming to show them the ropes. Learning from Amari Cooper, one of the best route runners of this generation, would pay dividends for this unproven position group.

There are other veteran receivers like Keenan Allen still on the market. However, with the familiarity Amari Cooper has with this organization and his proven availability throughout the season, it is clear the Cowboys should begin negotiating with Cooper as soon as possible.

Bring Coop back.