Amari Cooper's acquisition made it possible for the Cowboys to host Seattle in the wild-card round.
But if the club's flirtation with the Seahawks over Earl Thomas had been successful it never would have pursued the Oakland receiver.
How's that for an interesting twist to Saturday night's matchup at AT&T Stadium?
The path to the postseason isn't paved only by players a team obtains. Those it fails to land are often significant to the journey. In Cooper's case, there are two names to keep in mind.
Thomas and Sammy Watkins.
Let's start with Thomas.