With the NFL Scouting Combine set to kickoff and the offseason underway, there are serious questions about Amari Cooper’s future with the Dallas Cowboys.
On Monday, Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones was noncommittal when asked if Cooper would be on the team’s roster in 2022. Prompting many to wonder if the four-time Pro Bowl wideout will be a cap casualty.
“It’s too early for me to address that yet,” Jones said. “I mean, we’re continuing to have conversations.”
Not exactly a vote of confidence for Dallas’ “No.1” receiver.
Headlines from Indy:
— The #Packers and QB Aaron Rodgers are negotiating https://t.co/wir3vR7rit
— #Cowboys WR Amari Cooper’s future is up in the air https://t.co/xFJHjlW5A0
— International news https://t.co/JTlPHjW3iq
— @MoveTheSticks has a new Top 50 https://t.co/jeMv1wZ4vx— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 1, 2022
In that same breathe, Jones was very clear that running back Ezekiel Elliott will be back.
Saying, “I want Zeke on my team … You talk about playing through some injuries, some things that are hard – I mean, he is a competitor. I think he’s a damn good running back, and I think he’s going to help us win this year.”
Perhaps a shot at Amari Cooper, who’s toughness and availability have been questioned during his time with the Cowboys.
Cooper’s $20 million salary reportedly isn’t fully guaranteed until the fifth day of the 2022 league year. If Dallas were to cut Cooper, it would be a $6 million cap hit, rather than $22 million.
Since arriving in Big D, Cooper’s been Dak Prescott’s favorite target: catching 292 balls for 3,893 yards and 27 touchdowns across three-and-a-half seasons.