Chris Boline
When it comes to Texas sports betting, people are always going to bet big on the Dallas Cowboys whenever they make their way outside of the state. Remember that betting in Texas still has not been made legal. Having said that, there’s a major concern for Dallas fans everywhere. Why? Well, the Cowboys’ odds are now dropping with Amari Cooper news dropping this month.
In case you missed it, multiple reports have stated that Cooper will be released by Dallas. With that Cooper news, Dallas is hoping to finalize a long-term extension with wideout Michael Gallup. This is not what anyone in Texas wanted to see, as Cooper has been simply sensational ever since he arrived on the team from the Raiders. Cooper is a beast of a wideout for the Dallas offense.
However, with Dallas a bit strapped in terms of the salary cap, they’ve decided to part ways with Cooper. He’ll no question receive plenty of interest in free agency, as Cooper has consistently been one of the best wideouts in the NFC in recent years. Everyone laughed at the Cowboys when they traded multiple first-round picks for Cooper, but he lived up to the hype in a major way.
Losing Cooper is a huge blow for the offense as a whole. In 2021, quarterback Dak Prescott signed his big deal ahead of the season getting underway. While Dallas won the NFC East, they choked in the Wild Card Round against the 49ers. They had decent Super Bowl odds, but then for them to lose in the first round of the playoffs, in a home game mind you, was unreal. Now losing Cooper makes things worse.
The Cowboys are “likely” to release Amari Cooper, per @AdamSchefter pic.twitter.com/jQlYMUFI0D
— PFF (@PFF) March 4, 2022
Dallas could also trade offensive tackle La’el Collins
In another strange turn of events, Dallas could also trade offensive tackle, La’el Collins, this offseason. What in the heck is going on? According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Dallas is having active conversations with multiple teams surrounding the veteran tackle. Collins has spent the first six years of his career with the Cowboys, appearing in 74 games. He’s started 71 of those.
Collins is owed $10 million for next season, but Dallas would save a little more than $1 million in cap space if they were to move Collins to a new team. As soon as Rapoport’s report dropped, Dallas fans were up in arms as to why the team would trade Collins. He battled some injuries in 2021, but he’s been pretty darn consistent for the team since he made his debut back in ’15. It doesn’t make a ton of sense.
With Collins manning one of the tackle spots, he’s played a huge role in the offensive line being able to protect quarterback Dak Prescott. They’ve allowed Prescott to have plenty of time in the pocket to scan the field and find open receivers. Not only that, Collins has done a great job in the rushing game too, opening up holes for Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. It’s been fun to see for Dallas fans.
However, it’s looking like Collins has played his last snap for the team. Pair this with the news that Cooper is expected to be released, and there’s really going to be a new look for the team’s offense next season. The team could get creative in the NFL Draft to try and help with these losses, but it won’t be easy. Dallas fans are nervous that the team could once again disappoint next season with these changes.
The #Cowboys are having active trade conversations centered around starting OT La'el Collins, sources say. A mainstay since 2015, Collins is due $10M this coming year and there is interest from other teams.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2022
Things are not more tough for Prescott and Elliott
The main concern with these changes is that things are now tougher for Prescott and Elliott moving forward. For Prescott, he’s losing a No. 1 receiver in Cooper. You simply can’t replace the kind of production that Cooper provides overnight. Cooper recorded at least 1,000 yards in two of the last three seasons while hauling in some outstanding touchdowns from Prescott as well.
Whenever the Dallas offense needed a big play to be made, it felt like Cooper was ready to step up for this team. Now, who will Prescott rely on to be that guy to get him out of a jam? With the current makeup of the roster, it doesn’t feel like the offense has a true No. 1 receiver. CeeDee Lamb is a stud, but he was inconsistent at times last year. Drops were a bit of a nightmare.
As for Elliott, he also had a bit of a down year. He landed his monster contract from the Cowboys, but he’s been a bit of a letdown ever since. Now, the running game is going to have to see who replaces Collins at his tackle spot. With Collins being so good at blocking, Elliott of course loved following his massive frame to block so he could fly upfield for some nice runs.
All in all, Dallas is being quite busy this offseason, but people are just hoping that these decisions don’t come back to haunt them. If Dallas struggles this year on offense, people will be quick to call out Jones and the front office for parting ways with Cooper and Collins. While the Collins trade hasn’t been made official with a team yet, the feeling is that it’ll be coming soon.
