When the Dallas Cowboys sent a first-round pick to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for struggling wide receiver Amari Cooper, it turned more than few heads. After all, the 24-year-old wideout had been the definition of hit-or-miss over the past two seasons.

For the Cowboys, the need at receiver trumped any concern about Cooper’s play, though. Whether the former No. 4 overall pick was worth trading a first-rounder for is up for debate? That question will likely be answered in the next season and a half, but on Friday, owner Jerry Jones addressed the deal and revealed some interesting information.

As Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News revealed, Jones stated the team was going to select a wide receiver in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, which is why they were fine doing this.

Jerry Jones: We were planning to take a WR in the 1st round next year. "We knew we had the opportunity here to get a player that frankly is proven and have real youth involved so we can look at it long-term. We wouldn't give that 1st-round pick up if it wasn't for the long-term." https://t.co/NC2mrNwGJK — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 26, 2018

Amari Cooper’s Outlook on Cowboys

It’ll be interesting to see how the Cowboys deploy Cooper moving forward, but they certainly need his ability to beat defenders over the top. The team’s leading receiver currently is slot wideout Cole Beasley, who has 33 receptions for 350 yards and two touchdowns. Aside from him, though, the Dallas passing game has been tough to watch, specifically in terms of the receivers.

After Beasley, Michael Gallup has 10 catches for 190 yards and one touchdown while Allen Hurns has hauled in 13 passes for 158 yards and one score. Cowboys fans are hoping to see the version of Cooper who’s racked up 100-plus yard performances, and not the one who’s failed to top 20 receiving yards in four of six games this season.

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