Months after trading away the heart and soul of the O*kland Raiders defense, Coach Chucky has slashed the roster again. Former Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper has been traded to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2019 first round draft pick.
The move, which broke Monday morning during the first day back at work after the Raiders’ bye week, shocked few but surprised many. After New England traded a sixth round pick for Josh Gordon a few weeks ago, the idea of a first round pick was all but a fantasy.
“It’s a trade that we feel it was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass on to get a first-round pick,” Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said in a news conference. “In this business here, I thought that was invaluable for me. It was something I felt like I had to do.”
As bad and inconsistent as Cooper has been the last two seasons, leave it to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to desperately overpay market value for a below-market item.
The move should be considered a major steal by Gruden and McKenzie. The addition of another first round pick, gives the Silver & Black a minimum of five first round picks over the next two drafts — three first round picks in 2019 alone. After already trading Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears for two first round picks, this move makes Gruden the Scrooge McDuck of first round draft picks the next few years.
The possibilities are limitless, so long as Gruden drafts instead of McKenzie. McKenzie has failed on almost every level as a talent evaluator, going to far as to choose the Bears as trade partners because he believed they would finish with a bad record (the Bears have been at the top of the NFC North all season).
“I think he’s a first-round player,” McKenzie said of Cooper. “Has he been inconsistent? Absolutely. But has he shown greatness? Absolutely…This guy is still a young player. I think he’s going to do well down there in Dallas.”
Sometimes, the idiocy boggles my mind.
Cooper has not performed consistently enough the past two seasons to warrant a first round pick. Many blame quarterback Derek Carr, who seems to be the only untouchable player on the roster. You have to get open to get the ball and Cooper has not done that. Of course, there have been grumblings of a potential Carr-to-NY rumors. Cooper, 24, will play 2019 under a fifth-year option worth roughly $13.9 million as he hopes to revive his career away from the Bay Area for good.
After standout back-to-back 1,000-yard Pro Bowl seasons in 2015 and 2016, Cooper regressed in 2017 with just 680 yards on 48 catches. His 2018 has been even worse. He has just 22 catches for 280 yards with just one touchdown this season. Half of the yardage came in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns and he’s played pee-a-boo when it comes to being even noticeable on the field.
While the Raiders get even thinner at wide receiver, Cooper will join quarterback Dak Prescott and All-Pro running back Zeke Elliott, to form a strong Big Three. He will fill in he role former Cowboys and current free agent malcontent Dez Bryant once commanded.
Cooper is a better version of Dez than dez even was.
The 2018 season has been miserable for the Dallas passing attack, ranking 29th in the NFL. Cole Beasley (who?) leads the Cowboys with 33 catches for 350 yards and two touchdowns. No other Dallas wide receiver has more than 13 catches total. Needless to say, Cooper is a huge upgrade to the bottom-tier Cowboys wide receiving corps.
Raiders fans will not be happy with the move, but it adds to the Gruden Rebuild, which could continue as the trade deadline approaches. No roster spot is safe. Grudenhas decided to take this rebuild to Vegas. The Raiders are expected to leave O*kland this offseason, if the O*kland City Council moves ahead with a lawsuit over the team’s move to Vegas.
Currently, Cooper is in the NFL’s concussion protocol after suffering the injury last week in the Raiders’ embarrassing loss to Seattle in London. Running back Marshawn Lynch is also out indefinitely with a groin injury. The season is over for the Raiders.
But, with a plethora of first round draft picks the next two drafts, the Raiders have no excuse to not build a contender. Can’t waste a plethora of anything, let alone first rounders.
