The Dallas Cowboys and Amari Cooper could be close to striking a deal that would keep the receiver in town for years to come. If they do strike that deal, it would mean Cooper is a man of his word, as it wasn’t that long ago The Inquisitr reported that he wants to be with the Cowboys for the rest of his career.
Now Megan Armstrong of Bleacher Report is reporting “the rest of his career” could be starting soon. ESPN’s Ed Werder feels the same. He posted on Twitter that both sides are looking like they want to get a deal done before March 18 when Cooper would become a free agent.
“My sense from speaking to #Cowboys sources: Team is working hard to reach agreement with WR Amari Cooper, and that Cooper and his agent seem motivated at the moment to get something done. To me, present indications are he could be signed before QB Dak Prescott.”
Cooper has previously said he wouldn’t be surprised if the Cowboys slapped the franchise tag on him. Unsurprisingly, he’d rather they didn’t. He did also say he’d like to get a long-term deal done instead.
There is also the issue of getting Cooper a quarterback. Dak Prescott is also set to be an unrestricted free agent, and the Cowboys are said to be actively attempting to sign him to a long-term deal as well.
Patrick Walker of CBS Sports reports the team hopes to sign “at least one” to a longer contract and hit the other with a tag until mid-July. The goal if that does indeed turn into the plan would be to give the team time to work something out without having to deal with the pressures of getting a contract done in March.
Cooper has also previously talked about how important it is to him to have Dallas bring back his quarterback. While he’s never expressly said it, those around the team believe he won’t sign until he gets assurances Prescott will be his teammate in 2020.
Cooper has also said he and Prescott have built a relationship that isn’t all that common in the NFL. It appears he’d rather not have to toss that relationship out the window due to salary disputes.
The numbers seem to prove out Amari Cooper’s claims of a unique relationship with his quarterback. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders but was traded during the 2018 season. He had 22 catches for 280 yards in seven games prior to the trade and amassed 53 catches for 725 yards and six touchdowns in nine games. He followed that up with a career-best year in 2019.