Cowboys Catastrophe: Michael Gallup Cut, Amari Cooper Traded & Receivers Roster Done Wrong

As the Dallas Cowboys move on from Michael Gallup, Amari Cooper remains one of the top receivers in the league after his trade to the Cleveland Browns two years ago.

Every NFL team makes decisions that they end up regretting, and the Dallas Cowboys are no exception.

As we write this, it is two years ago to the day that Dallas traded Pro Bowl receiver Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns for just a fifth-round pick and a sixth-round pick swap. This move came just a few days after signing fellow receiver Michael Gallup to a five-year, $57.5 million contract extension, meaning they no longer had the money to pay Cooper.

These two moves were derided at the time, and two years later, they look even worse.

Tim Heitman, USA TODAY

For Gallup, signing him to a massive extension at the time was already a big risk. He had two strong seasons in 2019 and 2020, but suffered a torn ACL late in the 2021 campaign. 

The expectation was that he would come back strong from his injury the following season, but sadly, that was not the case. Gallup would finish with just 424 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2022, followed by a similar stat line of 418 yards and two touchdowns in 2023 despite appearing in all 17 games. Those numbers aren't awful for a No. 3 receiver, but certainly not worth paying over $11 million per year for.

The Cowboys clearly agreed, as they released Gallup on Friday with three years remaining on his deal.

Gallup Visits Panthers; Could Dallas Re-Sign?

Meanwhile, Cooper has still been his amazing self in Cleveland, possibly even better than he was in Dallas. Over his first two seasons with the Browns, the former Cowboys star has racked up 2,410 yards and 14 touchdowns while earning a Pro Bowl selection last season. Dallas has somewhat struggled to find a suitable No. 2 option alongside CeeDee Lamb, but if they managed to hang on to Cooper, that would've never been a problem.

We know the background on Cooper; CowboysSI.com broke the story - "Shrunk!'' - of why the front office grew dissatisfied with his level of commitment as a foundational $20 million player. But that doesn't make the move the right one, especially with the crummy return in trade.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys took a gamble on choosing the younger Gallup over Cooper - and we understand the thinking there, too - but with two years of hindsight, it's clear that it didn't pay off in the slightest.

And now, exactly two years later? The Cowboys are short on bodies and maybe short on talent ... in large part because of two big moves in the receivers room that look like two big mistakes.