Time can be a healer. Or it can be a reflection.
Amari Cooper was traded from the Oakland Raiders to the Dallas Cowboys just over one month ago. When he was first dealt, Cooper said he was excited for a "fresh start." Now that he's had more time, Cooper has thoroughly reflected on the move.
“I feel like it kind of changed me, like, as a person a little bit," Cooper said to Yahoo Sports.
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Cooper was a star at Alabama and the No. 4 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, and he made the Pro Bowl his first two seasons as a Raider. He knows what it feels like to be a star. And then he fell back in Oakland's plans.
“I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve been traded before," Cooper said. "Growing up, every team that I’ve played on, I was a pretty important piece to the team. I wasn’t really happy in Oakland or anything like that.
"But when I sat and thought about it [Monday] night … I thought about the fact that they traded me away. I don’t know how to feel about it.”
[RELATED: Watch Cooper score 90-yard TD, hurt Raiders' NFL draft position]
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When the Cowboys traded a 2019 first-round pick to the Raiders for Cooper, they showed how important they believed he could be for the team. The change of scenery certainly has paid off.
In six games with the Raiders, Cooper had 22 receptions for 280 yards and one touchdowns. As a Cowboy, he has 22 more receptions for 349 yards and three touchdowns, in two fewer games.
Cooper says he has a chip on his shoulder, and the motivation has paid dividends for the Cowboys, who sit in first place at 6-5, while the Raiders are 2-9.