It’s ok to admit Raiders trading Amari Cooper to Cowboys was good for all parties

Fans can be really funny sometimes. For instance, whenever a player who once donned the uniform of a fan’s favorite team then dons the uniform of another team, their feeling toward that player often change dramatically. The right things are said; like “I wish him the best” and what not. But really, when it comes right down to it, ya don’t.

This truth becomes evident whenever I go to social media and say something positive about a player who was once with the Raiders and is now playing for another team. Most recently, Amari Cooper would fit that bill.

When the Raiders traded Coop to the Cowboys just before midseason, I came out and said immediately that it was a good trade for the Raiders. When Coop had a touchdown in his first quarter of play with the Cowboys — matching his entire season total with the Raiders — and I pointed that out, rage was the response. And I don’t even know how the fans thought that was supposed to be a slight against the Raiders. It was merely an interesting stat that could just as easily speak poorly on Coop as it could the Raiders. But regardless; rage.

When Coop broke out for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns in his fourth game in Dallas, and I mentioned it, the response was that he would disappear again. So, in other words; rage.

Last week when Coop showed he wasn’t disappearing, and put up a career high 217 yards and 3 touchdowns, and I mentioned it; rage. I was called a hater. More than once, actually. Despite there being nothing negative in my words, because I DARED give credit to Amari Cooper and fans couldn’t gloat that he was going to tank with the Cowboys, I was a hater.

Here’s a concept that might surprise some who think in simplistic terms about if one thing is good, everything else must be bad — more than one thing can be good at the same time. About the same thing.

In this case, there really is no downside. No one loses.

The Raiders making a smart trade hasn’t changed even despite Amari Cooper balling out and the Cowboys winning thus lowering the draft pick they got from them. Sure, it was a lot better looking initially when they looked like they might get a high pick back, but they still got a first round pick for a player who was not performing at a first round pick level of late.

The Cowboys made a smart trade because Coop is proving to be the piece they were missing to returning to being a winning team.

Amari Cooper is happy because after a season and a half of the worst football of his career, he’s back to looking like a Pro Bowler again. He loves it in Dallas and I’m happy for him. Every player should be in a situation and on a team that allows them to flourish. And his play will earn him a fat new contract which the Raiders would have been reluctant to offer.

Derek Carr is playing better too. Not because Coop isn’t in Oakland. But despite it. Mostly because he is acclimating to Jon Gruden’s offense, but he clearly isn’t suffering from not having Cooper around.

So, do yourself a favor, and lighten up. Be happy for Coop. Accept that this is one of those trades that should have been made because it was just good for all parties. And that’s ok.