Amari Cooper was practically acquired for a steal when the Dallas Cowboys decided to trade him.
Prior to the 2022 regular season, the Cleveland Browns obtained Cooper for the incredibly low price of a fifth-round draft pick and a sixth-round pick swap. The Cowboys may now be regretting their decision, as may plenty of other teams.
Cooper has proven to be a valuable asset for the Browns, just as he was for the Cowboys and the Raiders before that. In Sunday’s 36-22 win over the Houston Texans, Cooper set a Cleveland franchise record with 265 receiving yards, along with 11 catches and two touchdowns. This performance surpassed the previous yardage record of 261 held by Josh Gordon.
On top of that, Cooper’s day marks the highest-scoring fantasy game by a wide receiver this season, with his 46 points beating DJ Moore’s 45.
A 75-yard touchdown catch by Cooper from Joe Flacco helped the Browns secure a 14-0 lead early in the game. This strong start also pushed Cooper over the 1,000-yard mark for the second consecutive season.
Remarkably, he is the first Browns receiver to achieve back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, all for the price of a fifth-round pick and a slight move back in the sixth round. That’s quite a bargain.
Later on, Cooper made an incredible catch on fourth down along the sideline:
Consistently and quietly, Cooper proves to be among the best receivers in the NFL every season. Having just completed his seventh 1,000-yard season in nine years in the NFL, it’s even more remarkable that he hasn’t yet reached his 30th birthday.
He is likely to have several more years as a top receiver in the NFL. Hopefully, the Browns sent the Cowboys a thank-you card this month.