Since the start of 2018, the Dallas Cowboys have changed in drastic ways. Two of the biggest alterations were trading for Amari Cooper halfway through 2018, and bringing Mike McCarthy aboard as the head coach this offseason. The marriage of the two events puts the former in a unique situation.
Cooper is used to regime changes, and he won’t have much of a chance to get to know the new Cowboys coaching staff before making a huge decision as a pending free agent. On Thursday, he made it clear he has been happy in his home of the last year and a half, but there are still a lot of moving parts in his potential return to the Cowboys in 2020.
When asked about if he wants to be back in Dallas, the always calm and quiet Cooper gave Cowboys fans a reassuring answer: “I do,” Cooper said. “I mean that wholeheartedly. I love Dallas.”
But Cooper did also mention that he and his agent have not been in contact regarding his impending contract situation.
"I love Dallas" what #Cowboys WR Amari Cooper had to say about contract talks, the new coaching staff and a Pete Carroll led NFC team pic.twitter.com/GC3f50hrx0
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) January 23, 2020
Cooper made a career-high $5.6 million last year and finished with a career-high 1,189 yards and eight receiving touchdowns, making him one of the best values in the league. Now it’s time for him to cash in. Currently, two wide receivers make over $18 million; Atlanta’s Julio Jones at $22 million and New Orleans’ Michael Thomas at $19.25 million, while Odell Beckham Jr. and Tyreek Hill are right at the $18 million mark. This is perceived to be the range Cooper may approach, but it hasn’t happened yet.
This week at the 2020 Pro Bowl Cooper has heard his fair share of contract questions, but seems to be virtually unfazed by his uncertain future. When asked again after Thursday’s practice Cooper said, “I’m just taking it day by day,” “I don’t really feel like there’s nothing that’s imminent. I’m not anxious, I’m not apprehensive. I’m just living life.”
Cooper would go on in the same interview to say that an extra $1 million or $2 million dollars doesn’t mean as much to him as being in the right environment. Part of that right environment starts with the quarterback, as any smart receiver knows that the QB is the most crucial teammate to his success. Cooper even touched on the success of Dak Prescott and himself, calling their relationship “symbiotic.”
Another important relationship for any receiver is with the coaching staff, but Cooper hasn’t been able to get any kind of consistency there.
“I’m not surprised,” Amari Cooper said when asked about the massive assistant coaching changes following the hiring of new head coach, Mike McCarthy. That of course includes the removal of his WR coach, Sanjay Lal.
“That’s usually what happens when a head coach gets fired… he isn’t going to want to inherit a whole lot of coaches. He has to make sure everyone he has in place is on the same page as him.”
Cooper is all too familiar with staff and scheme changes. If the Cowboys retain Cooper, McCarthy would be Cooper’s 4th head coach in only six seasons, so he has became accustomed to the chaos that can be caused by entering a new system.
With McCarthy comes a number of other coaching changes, including new wide receiver coach Adam Henry.
Henry is experienced, working 23 straight seasons as an NFL or college offensive assistant, primarily at WR coach. Henry was with the Cleveland Browns this past season, and worked with Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry at LSU before teaming up in Cleveland with them again. Cooper said he hadn’t yet gotten the chance, but would like to chat with his fellow wideouts about the Cowboys new coach, to get a feel for Henry’s coaching style.
Not everything will be brand new if Cooper returns, of course. Kellen Moore returning as offensive coordinator will also clearly help Cooper feel familiar with the new Dallas system, at least more so than if McCarthy had went in a new direction there as well. There will be a merging of McCarthy’s preferred West Coast style, but it will be channeled through Moore.
A full season has now passed for Cooper and Dallas, and the star wideout is coming off his rookie deal and is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Cowboys could also franchise tag Cooper, at $16 million a year, which would remove the decision-making process from the player’s hands altogether. Cooper acknowledges he could be tagged, but clearly would prefer the long-term deal.
For most NFL stars, a new regime might make them feel differently about a team, or at the very least make you hesitant about re-signing there. For the calm and collected Cooper, one gets the sense this newest coaching change is just like any other, and this won’t effect his decision too much.
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