Cowboys release OT Matt Waletzko, close book on Amari Cooper trade

The Cowboys have released OT Matt Waletzko from injured reserve, reaching a settlement with the fourth-year prospect to end his time in Dallas. This is hardly breaking news for a player who only appeared for 20 offensive snaps in three years, but it does bring closure to the much bigger story of the Amari Cooper trade in 2022. Waletzko was the last remaining asset from that deal, and his inconsequential Cowboys career is the sesame seed bun on the nothing burger that Dallas got for their one-time star receiver.

In March of 2022, the Cowboys sent Cooper to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a fifth-round pick and a swap of sixth-round picks, which moved Dallas up 10 spots. They drafted Waletzko with the fifth and LB Devin Harper with the sixth. Harper was a non-factor, only playing special teams for a few games as a rookie before getting injured. He made the team in 2023 due to injuries but only lasted a few weeks before being waived.

Waletzko made it to his fourth and final training camp despite several injuries and a lack of progress thus far. But like most teams, Dallas is always looking for depth at offensive tackle. Unfortunately an ankle injury took Waletzko out of the competition early, and he was waived injured on August 2nd. After nobody claimed him, Waletzko reverted to IR and has now reached a settlement to be fully released from his rookie contract.

Obviously, in terms of the draft compensation, Dallas didn’t get much of anything for Amari Cooper. More spins at the wheel are nice, and you never know what those Day 3 picks might become. Just twelve spots after Waletzko was taken, the Cowboys drafted CB DaRon Bland. Between those two Dallas picks, the Rams took RB Kyren Williams. The odds aren’t high for that late in the draft, but that’s why we call them “gems.”

Practically speaking, the real return on the Cooper trade was $16 million in salary cap space. This room was used to fund moves like re-signing WR Michael Gallup and adding safeties Jayron Kearse and Malik Hooker. It was believed that much of that money was expected to go to DE Randy Gregory, but his negotiation with Dallas bottomed out at the last minute. But in the Cowboys front office’s mind, the trade was just a way to get some additional capital back for Cooper instead of just releasing him for the cap room.

But still, that perspective offers little comfort. Dallas essentially dumped Cooper for Gallup, and the result was ugly. Gallup never got back to pre-injury form and was gone two years later. The Cowboys have missed having another true WR2 in the offense for two years, hence why they made the big trade for George Pickens last spring. While Dallas had a very productive passing offense in 2023, putting Dak Prescott into MVP consideration, they still struggled in situational football against top NFL opponents. The lack of talent betrayed them when it counted most.

Perhaps what’s more frustrating about this now than even in 2022 is the rumor that Cooper’s departure was driven by Mike McCarthy. The head coach and veteran receiver reportedly did not get along, and it’s become more public in recent years that McCarthy may have been the key reason that Dallas was willing to part with Cooper for such a limited return. Given how McCarthy’s last two years went, you have to wonder how much he was worth listening to.

In the end, from any angle, it’s hard to say that the Cowboys got anything back for letting Amari Cooper go. The draft picks went about how Day 3 picks usually go, and choosing Michael Gallup over Cooper was a big risk that blew up in their faces. The unceremonious end to Matt Waletzko’s time in Dallas is just a reminder, and hopefully the last one, of how poorly Cooper’s exit went.