A few weeks ago, it became apparent that the Dallas Cowboys were going to have to release or trade some premier talent due to salary cap reasons. Most notably for the Cowboys is WR Amari Cooper. Cooper started his career with the Raiders before being traded to Dallas in 2018. On March 12th, just days before the new year starts, the Cowboys decided to move on from Cooper, trading him to the Cleveland Browns. Let us analyze the deal, why Cooper fits Cleveland, and what this means for the Cowboys going forward.

Trade Details

Dallas Receives: 

• 2022 5th Round Pick

• 2022 6th Round Pick

Cleveland Receives:

• WR Amari Cooper

• 2022 6th Round Pick

Breaking Down Cooper

It was very obvious that the Cleveland Browns needed a number one receiver at the end of the season. They do have some nice pieces like WR Donovan Peoples-Jones and TE David Njoku, but that is really it at the moment with WR Jarvis Landry likely headed elsewhere. Cleveland receivers struggled last season to win one-on-one matchups and did not have that “go-to” receiver to hit when they needed a third-down conversion, especially after the release of WR Odell Beckham Jr. 

As for Cooper, he is widely regarded as one of the best route runners in football, showing the ability to create separation. Even in a down year with a loaded Dallas receiving core, Cooper had 865 yards and 8 touchdowns in 15 games. His eight touchdowns tied a career-high, which is a number he also hit in 2019. For a career, he has 7,076 yards and 46 receiving touchdowns. The one thing that probably caused the draft picks to be lower is that Cooper is owed $20M, which is a lot for a receiver. Regardless, this move is a really nice fit for the Cleveland Browns and a reliable weapon for QB Baker Mayfield.

Jarvis Landry

Unfortunately, the trade for WR Amari Cooper most likely means Jarvis Landry’s tenure as a Cleveland Brown is over. Landry has a $16.3M cap hit, which is a lot for a number two receiver, especially with Cooper’s salary as well. Landry and the Browns have discussed a restructure, so that is still up in the air. Landry wants to add years to his deal, but Cleveland is hesitant at the moment. After the Cooper trade, Cleveland also gave Landry permission to seek a trade as well. If it is in fact the end for Landry in Cleveland, he would have played four years, hauling in 288 catches for 3,560 yards, 15 receiving touchdowns, and 4 rushing touchdowns. He was also a major part in bringing Cleveland back to relevance, as he was a part of the Browns first playoff appearance in over 20 years. In two playoff games, he scored two touchdowns. While he still has a chance to stay in Cleveland, all signs are pointing the other way.

Beginning of the End for Dallas?

The Cowboys have historically drafted very well. With that comes expensive paydays, which are now starting to catch up to the Cowboys. Cooper was the first domino to fall, but players like DE Demarcus Lawrence and OT La’el Collins could be next. Because of QB Dak Prescott and HB Ezekiel Elliott’s hefty contracts, it gives the Cowboys less wiggle room, causing really good football players to be “cap casualties”. Luckily for Dallas, they still have a ton of talent on their roster and can easily pivot off some of these players, but how many players are too many until it becomes an issue? The Cowboys will have to revamp their roster quickly, or else they can fall into a tough situation going forward.

Stats from profootballreference.com

Contract Info from spotrac.com

Trade Details from cbssports.com

Writer

-By: Richie Dordas

If you look towards momentum to figure out who you believe is going to win a football game, this game went against everything you had in mind. The Cowboys, who were coming off their sixth straight win in which their backup QB led a game-winning drive on Sunday Night Football, faced off against a team in the Denver Broncos, who just traded one of their all-time great players in Von Miller and seemed to be waving the white flag. Despite this, the Broncos went into Dallas and stomped on the Cowboys, winning by a score of 30-16. Let us dive into how Denver got it done and what went wrong for Dallas.

Game Details

On the winning end, the Broncos played balanced football on offense. QB Teddy Bridgewater was efficient in the victory, going 19/28 with 249 yards and a touchdown. He added a rushing touchdown as well. WR Tim Patrick caught the lone passing touchdown on a 44-yard-deep pass. He finished the day with four catches and 85 yards. WR Jerry Jeudy also chipped in six catches for 69 yards to pace the air raid. On the ground, Denver’s two-headed monster highlighted the offense. HB Javonte Williams had 17 carries for 111 yards, while his running mate Melvin Gordon had 21 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, S Kareem Jackson led the team with nine tackles, while S Caden Sterns had an interception in the victory.

On the short end, QB Dak Prescott went 19/39 with 232 yards, two garbage-time touchdowns, and one interception. Both touchdowns went to WR Malik Turner, who led the Cowboys with five catches in the loss. TE Dalton Schultz led the team with 54 yards, while WR’s Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb had an off day, combining for 4 catches and 59 yards on the day. HB Ezekiel Elliott had a good average but managed just 10 carries for 51 yards due to a knee injury in which he returned, as well as a blowout on the scoreboard. Despite the loss, LB Micah Parsons kept up his strong rookie campaign, leading the Cowboys with 10 total tackles and 2.5 sacks on the day. He is not tied with DE Randy Gregory for the most sacks on the team, each with five.

Broncos Ground Game

As stated before, the Denver Broncos won this game offensively through their run game, which was dominant all day. The Williams-Gordon tandem combined for a whopping 191 yards on the ground, their most all season. With Bridgewater’s limitations, it is apparent that a ground and pound offense is the way to go for the Broncos, especially because you can depend on Bridgewater not to turn the ball over, as he has just five interceptions on the season. Denver has two really good running backs that can control the clock and help make explosive plays. Despite this, Denver ranks in the middle of the pack for rushing yards but may have found a formula for success against a top-tier team in the Cowboys.

Denver “D” Stays Hot

When people criticize the Broncos, it is usually regarding the offense. What gets overshadowed is how well the defense has been playing as a whole this season. Denver came into the day giving up just 17.1 points per game and 325.8 yards per game. Against one of the more loaded offenses in football, the Broncos gave up 16 garbage time points and 290 total yards, including under 100 yards rushing. It is crazy that with a defense playing this well, they are 5-4, but that is the reality at the moment. Denver’s defense should keep them in the playoff mix until the end of the season and may even get them into the playoffs.

Dak Struggles in Return

It has been a couple of weeks since QB Dak Prescott played a football game, his last game coming in Week 7 against the New England Patriots. The Cowboys won the game in walk-off fashion, scoring a touchdown in overtime to seal the victory. Prescott hurt his calf on the play, forcing him to be inactive against the Vikings in Week 8. Prescott struggled mightily in return to action, completing under 50% of his passes and finishing with a passer rating of 73.9. All around it was not a good day for the Cowboy QB, but no need to panic. Dallas is in a good spot and a dud was going to come at some point.

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead to Week 10, the Broncos will host the Philadelphia Eagles (3-6) in an effort to sweep the NFC East, which would include three straight wins over the division if they can get it done. As for Dallas, they will host the Atlanta Falcons (4-4), who is coming off a win over the New Orleans Saints.

Stats from profootballreference.com

Schedule form cbssports.com

Writer

-By: Richie Dordas

In Week 5, the Dallas Cowboys would host the New York Giants, with the following day being the one-year anniversary of the Dak Prescott ankle injury, which just so happened against the Giants in Week 5 at home as well. Now a year removed from injury, the Cowboys are riding high and continued their winning ways with a 44-20 victory over their division rival. Let us dive into the key moments of this game, including the unfortunate injury bug for New York.

Game Details

On their way to their fourth straight victory, the Cowboys played an efficient game offensively. QB Dak Prescott threw for 302 yards on 22 completions, including three touchdowns and one interception. The three touchdowns went to WR CeeDee Lamb, WR Amari Cooper, and HB Ezekiel Elliott. Speaking of Elliott, he continued his early-season success, rushing for 110 yards on 21 carries with a touchdown to go along with his receiving touchdown. HB Tony Pollard rushed the ball 14 times for 75 yards as well, proving his worth as a change of pace back for Dallas. Defensively, LB Micah Parsons led the way with eight tackles. CB’s Trevon Diggs and Anthony Brown had interceptions in the victory as well.

In an injury-riddled, game, the Giants struggled on the offensive end, but rookie WR Kadarius Toney was a bright spot for New York. Toney had 10 catches for 189 yards, breaking Odell Beckham Jr’s rookie record for most yards in a game by a rookie. Besides him, not much went right for the Giants. QB Daniel Jones went 5/13 with 98 yards before getting injured. In his place, QB Mike Glennon went 16/25 with 196 yards and a touchdown, and two interceptions. HB Devontae Booker scored in the loss as well. On the losing end, LB Tae Crowder forced a fumble and LB Lorenzo Carter intercepted Dak Prescott after swatting the ball up to himself on a fourth-down conversion attempt.

Complete Game Offensively

After a pass-heavy Week 1, the Dallas Cowboys committed themselves to the run over their next four games, but in this game specifically, it was a complete, balanced attack that got the job done for Dallas. Dallas attempted 32 passes and ran the ball 39 times. When you are in a blowout, you are likely going to run the ball more if you are leading, but this has been a recipe for success for the Cowboys. QB Dak Prescott is 4-0 this season and undefeated for his career when the Cowboys attempt more rushes than passes. With that, they are still 10th in passing yards (278.0), 2nd in rushing yards (172.80 and 2nd in scoring (34.0). Dallas is dangerous on the offensive end and will continue to be if they play efficient football.

Diggs Shines Again

No, this is not a copy and paste from last week. CB Trevon Diggs recorded yet another interception in 2021. He has six on the season and has at least one in every game this season. He is emerging as an early DPOY favorite, and it is not particularly close at the moment. The closest is DE Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns, who has 7.0 sacks in five games this year. It has been a truly special start for Diggs, and he will look to keep it up next week as he leads the Dallas defense.

Giant Injury Issue

While a loss is always going to make headlines, the bigger news for the Giants this week is the number of injuries they suffered in this game. HB Saquon Barkley tripped over a defender on an incomplete pass and has a low ankle sprain. QB Daniel Jones left the game after suffering a concussion. He and Barkley were both carted to the locker room. In the process of all that, prized free agent WR Kenny Golladay hyperextended his knee. Fortunately, it looks like Barkley and Golladay avoided major injury, while Jones will go into concussion protocol. Expect WR Kadarius Toney, HB Devontae Booker, and QB Mike Glennon to be incorporated into the starting offense with the injuries that were suffered.

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead to Week 6, the Giants will look to get on track at home against the Los Angeles Rams (4-1), who are coming off a TNF victory over the Seahawks. The Cowboys, on the other hand, will look to keep things rolling and get a win in Gillette Stadium where they will face the New England Patriots (2-3), who are coming off a victory as well.

Stats from profootballreference.com

Schedule from nfl.com

Writer

-By: Richie Dordas