If the Miami Dolphins want Amari Cooper they have to trade for him

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 11: Amari Cooper #19 of the Dallas Cowboys runs the ball past Darnay Holmes #30 of the New York Giants during the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium on October 11, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 11: Amari Cooper #19 of the Dallas Cowboys runs the ball past Darnay Holmes #30 of the New York Giants during the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium on October 11, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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If the Miami Dolphins want a shot at landing Amari Cooper they’re going to have to trade for him, letting Cooper hit the open market is too much of a risk.

Free Agency starts this upcoming week on March 16th, however teams will be able to begin negotiating with free agents on March 14th. The Miami Dolphins have said to have big plans and want to make a splash during this period.

Rightfully so, Miami has the most cap space in the NFL according to overthecap.com, and have the ability to outbid anybody in the market, but a deal-breaker doesn’t always involve money for top tier players.

Year-after-year you and I see a couple top free agents who decide to take less money to go to a legitimate Super Bowl contender, and some free agents who decide to chase a big payday instead.

Where does Amari Cooper land on the spectrum? Difficult to tell but here’s what we know so far.

Amari Cooper’s contract is REALLY expensive:

The main reason the Dallas Cowboys are going to be releasing Cooper is because of the guaranteed $20 Million dollars that will be due to him on March 20th, per Mike Garafolo.

A ginormous cap hit for any team even if you have as much cap space as Miami, will Cooper demand that money in order to go to a team? Or would he take less money to go to a contender?

$20 Million Dollars is $20 Million dollars, but a true #1 WR is a true #1 WR. And in my book, you always get what you pay for.

Amari Cooper grew up a Miami Dolphins fan:

The 27-year old South Florida WR has plenty of motivations to come back to his hometown, a team that can afford him, a team he is a fan of, and a team who is set up to be a playoff contender. But that doesn’t mean he would prefer hometown over getting his money.

Once Cooper hits the open market Super Bowl contenders can start making phone calls to sell the WR a ring in exchange for a fraction of what he wants to be paid. After all a 1-year deal to win a ring and raise your stock value even more sounds like a win-win for Amari Cooper.

There is 11 out of 16 teams in the AFC that can be seen as playoff contenders, if Miami wants to get ahead of the curve they can’t wait for the open market. They have to skip the line and strike early.

If the Miami Dolphins really want to go big, they have to trade for Cooper right now:

If you read my content often you know how I feel about draft picks, overrated.

“F- them picks.” – LA Rams Legend Les Snead.

If the Miami Dolphins really want Amari Cooper then waiting until open market is already too late, once Cooper is in FA all 31 teams can call him to sell him a different pitch.

Of course not everyone can afford him, but you get my point. Especially if a true contender calls Cooper’s phone once FA starts.

The Cowboys are being patient because they know how hot of a commodity Cooper will be, if teams want to skip the line then the price to pay is a 4th round pick. No problem for Miami, they have 2 of those.

Amari Cooper by the numbers (last 3 seasons):

  • 2021 – 865 Yds – 104 Targets – 68 Catches – 8 TD’s
  • 2020 – 1,114 Yds – 130 Targets – 92 Catches – 5 TD’s
  • 2019 – 1,119 Yds – 119 Targets – 79 Catches – 8 TD’s

Conclusion:

Amari Cooper has one of the biggest WR contracts in the NFL but he also is one of the most reliable weapons in the NFL, a true #1 WR. Just what the Miami Dolphins need.

You get what you pay for, if Miami wants to make a splash they have to call Dallas right now and get ahead of the line. By the time free agency opens, it might already be too late.

Cooper isn’t the only WR Miami can trade for, find out more about #Metcalf2Miami below, follow me on Twitter @3rdnJuan to keep up with all my latest posts.