The Browns were ravaged by injuries and adversity in 2023, but one constant that kept them on track for a playoff return was Amari Cooper.
The former No. 4 pick posted a career-high 1,250 yards despite missing two games and experiencing plenty of quarterback turnover in Cleveland, averaging 17.4 yards per catch. Cooper quietly has seven 1,000-yard seasons in nine years in the NFL, and it appears he's finally found his home with the Browns.
It was only a couple of years earlier that Cooper was an outcast in Dallas. A shaky 2021 season gave way to a trade to the Browns, which wound up rejuvenating the former Alabama star's career. Do the Cowboys now regret that decision?
Here's a look at what the Cowboys received in the deal for Cooper and where those players are today.
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Amari Cooper trade details: What did Cowboys receive?
The complete deal saw Cooper moved to Cleveland and three draft picks swapped:
Browns received
- WR Amari Cooper
- 2022 sixth-round pick
Cowboys received
- 2022 fifth-round pick
- 2022 sixth-round pick
The Cowboys received two late-round picks in the deal, and they were used on the following players:
- OT Matt Waletzko (North Dakota State)
- LB Devin Harper (Oklahoma State)
Waletzko has played only eight offensive snaps through two NFL seasons, while Harper played just three defensive snaps for the Cowboys before he was waived last September and landed with the Bengals.
While fifth- and sixth-round picks are just lottery tickets to begin with, this isn't a return for the Cowboys to be proud of. They couldn't turn Cooper into any kind of asset, barring a breakthrough from Waletzko, and they gave up an additional late-round pick (used on Michael Woods II, who has made minimal impact himself) in the process.
At the time, though, the trade was viewed as a salary dump. Cooper was two years into a five-year, $100 million contract, and he simply didn't play like a $20 million per year player in 2021. As the Cowboys struggle to work out a new deal with CeeDee Lamb, it's fair to say keeping Cooper around long-term might not have been feasible financially.
The Cowboys traded Cooper when his value was at its lowest, and that's what stings for Dallas despite the offense humming right along last season.
Amari Cooper stats
| Season | Team | Games | Rec. | Yards | TD | Y/R |
| 2015 | Raiders | 16 | 72 | 1,070 | 6 | 14.9 |
| 2016 | Raiders | 16 | 83 | 1,153 | 5 | 13.9 |
| 2017 | Raiders | 14 | 48 | 680 | 7 | 14.2 |
| 2018 | Raiders/Cowboys | 15 | 75 | 1,005 | 7 | 13.4 |
| 2019 | Cowboys | 16 | 79 | 1,189 | 8 | 15.1 |
| 2020 | Cowboys | 16 | 92 | 1,114 | 5 | 12.1 |
| 2021 | Cowboys | 15 | 68 | 865 | 8 | 12.7 |
| 2022 | Browns | 17 | 78 | 1,160 | 9 | 14.9 |
| 2023 | Browns | 15 | 72 | 1,250 | 5 | 17.4 |
| Career | 140 | 667 | 9,486 | 60 | 1.42 |