Elliott: Amari Cooper was Cowboys' 'missing piece'

The Dallas Cowboys paid a steep price to acquire Amari Cooper, shipping out a first-round pick to the Oakland Raiders for the No. 1 receiver.

Three games into his Cowboys career, Cooper is looking worth the risk.

The wideout's numbers aren't spectacular - 14 catches for 169 yards and one touchdown - but Dallas has gone 2-1 with him in the lineup, and Ezekiel Elliott has suddenly found room to run thanks to the passing threat.

"It seems like he kind of was the missing piece, just because when he got here this offense started rolling," Elliott said, according to Clarence E. Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "It's great having him. He's a phenomenal player. He's going to have a great future here."

Elliott has racked up 151 yards and 122 yards rushing in wins over the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons, respectively, to help put Dallas back in contention for the NFC East crown.

"Definitely. I'd say so. We've talked about that for a couple weeks now," quarterback Dak Prescott said about Cooper's ability to open up the run game for Elliot. "The way teams are playing us and the way they're playing Amari and adjusting their coverages has given us favorable boxes. The offensive line is doing a great job of taking advantage of that. Zeke's finding holes and making people miss."