NFL Exec: Cowboys' Amari Cooper Was Best FA WR but 'I Didn't Want to Sign Him'

At least one NFL front-office person believes there is a hole in Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper's game that he needs to improve in order to reach the next level.

As part of an article written by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler in which more than 50 league executives, coaches, scouts and players voted on the 10 best wide receivers in the NFL, an anonymous NFL personnel man said the following about Cooper: "There's something holding him back. He was the best receiver on the market and I didn't want to sign him."

The 26-year-old Cooper hit free agency this offseason after parts of two seasons with the Cowboys, but Dallas retained him by signing him to a five-year, $100 million contract.

Cooper was the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft by the Oakland Raiders, and he spent parts of four seasons with the franchise before they traded him to Dallas during the 2018 campaign.

He was a Pro Bowler in each of his first two seasons with over 1,000 yards in each campaign, but he dropped off significantly in 2017 to the tune of just 48 catches for 680 yards in 14 games. Cooper got off to a slow start in 2018 as well, which led to the trade to Dallas.

Cooper exploded to the tune of 53 receptions for 725 yards and six touchdowns in nine games with the Cowboys, though, which helped him earn his third Pro Bowl nod.

He was named a Pro Bowler for the fourth time last season and enjoyed what was his most productive season to date with 79 grabs for 1,189 yards and eight touchdowns.

Cooper may not be a dominant No. 1 wideout in the same vein as Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons or Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints, but he doesn't have to be that in Dallas.

No. 2 receiver Michael Gallup also reached the 1,000-yard mark last season and the Cowboys used their 2020 first-round pick on former University of Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, which gives quarterback Dak Prescott an embarrassment of riches.

Cooper will have to share the spotlight with his fellow wideouts during the upcoming season, but with so much talent around him to draw away defensive attention, he could be in line for the best year of his career to date.