Cowboys Should Fear Broncos' Reported Interest in Amari Cooper

The Denver Broncos will be interested in Amari Cooper if he hits the free-agent market next week, according to team insider Troy Renck.

Denver is already a juicy pick to be the surprise team of next season. Drew Lock's rookie campaign was promising and tossing it up to Cooper makes a second-year leap far more likely than a terrifying sophomore slump. The Broncos' roster is ascending across the board but remains limited and lackluster at the receiver position. Courtland Sutton is far better suited to be a number two than the receiver who draws the top cornerback.

If the Cowboys can't strike a long-term, career-defining deal with Cooper before next week, Denver could be the more appealing option. Mike McCarthy is the inverse of innovative. McCarthy's relationship with Dak Prescott is still to be determined. That goes hand-in-hand with the uncertainty of Prescott's future, which continues to generate distracting rumors daily.

Cooper's savvy route-running and quick decisions work in any offense. The Cowboys need him more than he needs them.

While it hasn't amounted to the level of success the organization hoped, Dallas' offense has clicked since the Cooper acquisition. As pointed out by Trey Wingo, in the 25 games Cooper has played with Prescott, Dallas has ranked third in the NFL in offensive efficiency and first in total yards.

Denver isn't the only looming threat facing Dallas. New England desperately needs to make a final push to keep Tom Brady, and signing Cooper would speak louder than anything Bill Belichick can say in a dark room looking like Vito Corleone. The Colts have cap space. And the Packers are one playmaker away from competing for Super Bowl(s).

Concurrently, there are no comparable backup options for the Cowboys. A.J. Green is expected to get franchise tagged, and there is a steep fall from Cooper to Emmanuel Sanders, Robby Anderson, and Devin Funchess.

This one is on Dallas, not Cooper.