The Dallas Cowboys were interested in Cooper Kupp until they heard his asking price.
Kupp was on the radar for the Cowboys after he was released by the Los Angeles Rams. But the former Super Bowl MVP and All-Pro drew quite a bit of interest as a free agent, driving up his value. Kupp eventually landed on a three-year, $45 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks.
The Cowboys were not willing to go that high to land an elite No. 2 option behind CeeDee Lamb in Dallas, per Adam Schefter.
“Last Thursday, the Cowboys reached out about Cooper Kupp and they were interested,” Schefter said on his podcast. “Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, who I understand it, were on the phone with Cooper Kupp talking to him about the idea of coming to Dallas, and it was floated out there. And then the Cowboys heard the numbers, and they were at numbers that the Cowboys weren’t going to get to.”
Cowboys Reluctant to Splurge on Free Agent Deals
The Cowboys have faced ongoing criticism for their reluctance to spend big in free agency, and missing out on Kupp is just the latest example. Frustrated fans in Dallas made their disappointment loud and clear.
“So Dak and Lamb are trying to make this team better while Jerry and Stephen continue to be cheapskates! You can tell who wants to win and who doesn’t,” one fan said.
Another added: “That’s why the Cowboys will be fighting for last place in their division.”
However, other agreed with the move by the Cowboys, saying that $15 million per season is overpaying for Kupp, who will turn 32 in June.
“That deal was way too rich for Kupp at this point in his career. Another smart move by the Cowboys’ FO!” a fan said.
The Cowboys did add a wide receiver in free agency, inking Parris Campbell to a one-year deal. Campbell has 123 career catches for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns. Dallas also brought back receiver/return man KaVontae Turpin on a three-year, $18 million contract. Turpin was an All-Pro return man and added 420 yards receiving.
Cowboys Being ‘Selectivley Aggresive’ in Free Agency
After saying they were “all in” a year ago, the Cowboys have been honest with the approach to free agency this time around.
“We’re going to look at everything we can, we’re going to be selectively aggressive,” Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones said. “There’s things in this league, you have certain amount of resources they allow you to have and we will look at that, but we’re going to try to improve our football team, not try, we’re going to improve our football team and we expect to have success next year.”
The Cowboys have some hefty contracts on the books, with Prescott and Lamb already locked in and Micah Parsons likely set for a massive extension this offseason. Dallas restructured the deals of Lamb and Prescott this offseason, freeing up $56.6 million in cap space.
Dallas has the No. 12 overall pick in the draft, which is set for April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
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