The Dallas Cowboys‘ playoff woes continued for yet another season.
They haven’t reached the NFC Championship Game since 1995 which is also the year wherein they won Super Bowl XXX.
The Cowboys thought that 2021 would be their year after finishing with a 12-5 record and having one of the NFL’s best offenses.
However, the San Francisco 49ers had other plans.
From that disappointing defeat, it looks like the Cowboys are crumbling because of some questionable decisions.
They traded Amari Cooper and a sixth-round pick in the 2022 draft in exchange for the Cleveland Browns’ fifth and sixth-round selections.
On paper, the deal gave the Browns a primary receiver.
In contrast, it showed the Cowboys’ dysfunction.
How can they compensate for the 865 yards and eight touchdowns that Cooper had last season?
Worst yet, Cooper’s release shed light on their poor financial decisions, as NBC Sports’ Warren Sharp pointed out.
Dallas trading away Amari Cooper for a 5th rounder so they can pay Zeke & his $18,220,000 cap hit is glorious to witness
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) March 12, 2022
Sharp said, “Dallas trading away Amari Cooper for a 5th rounder so they can pay Zeke & his $18,220,000 cap hit is glorious to witness.”
In a pass-happy NFL, teams should put a premium on retaining top talent at wide receiver.
Cooper is that guy, even if there have been reports that he and quarterback Dak Prescott don’t see eye to eye.
Why Retain Elliott?
Sure, Elliott barely reached the 1,000-yard rushing mark last season, but his numbers are still not worth his $6.82 million cap hit last season.
Likewise, it looks like Tony Pollard is an emerging star in their backfield after finishing with 719 yards and 5.5 yards per carry.
Meanwhile, Elliott averaged only 4.2 yards per carry.
With running backs often regressing as they age, retaining Cooper despite the conflict was the better choice.
NEXT: The Cowboys Can Still Make It Work With Amari Cooper
