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Some in-division news came through the wire on Monday afternoon.
The Oakland Raiders will send wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys, as first reported by ESPN’s Josina Anderson.
Breaking: A source tells me that WR Amari Cooper will be traded to the Dallas #Cowboys.
— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) October 22, 2018
ESPN’s Adam Schefter followed up with the compensation—remarkably, a first-round pick back to the Raiders.
Cowboys traded a first-round pick to Raiders for WR Amari Cooper, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 22, 2018
The Raiders now own three first-round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft—their own pick, the Chicago Bears’ pick (Khalil Mack) and the Dallas Cowboys’ pick (Cooper).
A first-round pick for Cooper, who has been up and down the past two seasons, seems rather high. But according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie (also known as Kahlil’s dad) was set on his price, and he got it:
Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie has been the one handling trade calls, and he was the one holding teams to a first-round pick for Cooper (they turned down offers of a second-rounder). So McKenzie got his price.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) October 22, 2018
It is another chapter in the dismantling of the Raiders by Jon Gruden. It doesn’t look like they will be competitive anytime soon, but Gruden has nothing but time. There are still nine years left on his 10-year, $100 million contract.
The Chiefs travel to Oakland to play the Raiders on December 2.