NFL insider: Amari Cooper is ‘likely” to be released by Cowboys soon

Look for Amari Cooper to be a cap casualty by the Dallas Cowboys in the coming weeks.

With the Dallas Cowboys in a bad spot with regard to the 2022 NFL salary cap, look for them to release Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper very soon.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cooper is likely to be released by the Cowboys, as he “is due $20 million in fully guaranteed money on the fifth day of the new league year, March 20.”

Dallas is approximately $21 million over the cap. Only the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packer are in worse overall cap situations heading into the new league year. By cutting Cooper, it would result in $16 million of savings, as he is only a $6 million dead cap hit. If the Cowboys were to wait until June 1 to make this move, Cooper’s dead cap hit would drop down to only $2 million.

If Dallas cuts Cooper, it gets the Cowboys within striking distance of being under the cap almost immediately.

Dallas Cowboys expected to cut Amari Cooper before start of new league year

While there are pros and cons to cutting Cooper, the biggest thing the Cowboys have to understand is how this might impact the play of franchise quarterback Dak Prescott. Cooper is the wide receiver that Prescott has the best rapport with. Though cutting him could save some precious cap space, doing so may anger the most important player on the Cowboys franchise.

Clearly, it seems as though the Cowboys have made up their mind about Cooper. If they were to release him, it would go a long ways towards the Cowboys re-signing wide receiver Michael Gallup or potentially tight end Dalton Schultz. It also creates a pathway for CeeDee Lamb to become the team’s undisputed No. 1 wide receiver. He is still playing on his rookie contract out of Oklahoma.

Ultimately, this is a hard decision, but one the Cowboys have to make. This is their window to contend for a Super Bowl. The NFC is in a state of flux. While the Cowboys are the preeminent team in the NFC East, anything short of a NFC Championship Game appearance next year will be met with great disappointment. Cutting Cooper stinks, but the Cowboys must free up some cash.

Though they still have to make other moves, parting ways with Cooper helps the Cowboys get under the cap faster in time for 2022 NFL free agency.