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The Las Vegas Raiders are bringing back a familiar face in Amari Cooper after the team announced on August 26 that they signed the free-agent wide receiver.
The Raiders can lean on Brock Bowers in the passing game, but their wide receiver situation remains less than ideal. According to an August 26 report from The Athletic, the team denied Jakobi Meyers’ trade request.
Barring anything unforeseen, Cooper and Meyers will be the go-to guys, which NBC Sports NFL analyst Chris Simms believes this scenario benefits the veteran.
“[The Raiders] have no go-to guy,” Simms said on “Pro Football Talk.” “Amari Cooper, totally healthy, is probably going to be the most physically gifted guy on that team. It’s just—Is Amari Cooper physically healthy, and can he do that?”
Should the Raiders Have Concerns over Amari Cooper?
Simms doesn’t deny that Cooper has the talent to be an NFL receiver still; his concern is whether the wideout can stay healthy over the season to make an impact on a Las Vegas team with not many options at receiver.
“I think part of the reason Cleveland got rid of him was because they were like, ‘Oh, some of the legs and knees don’t seem to be working the same way,’” Simms added. “That’s what we saw him disappear in Buffalo, too, at the end.
“They traded for him, and he really did not become a staple or a part of their offense late in the year. He was just a guy. So, what does he got left in the tank? What’s the health status? Either way, I think he’s at a place where there’s not a lot of proven commodities, and he has a chance to get some touches there.”
Over 10 NFL seasons, Cooper has appeared in 154 games. He has recorded 711 receptions for 10,033 yards, averaging 14.1 yards per catch, and has scored 64 touchdowns. Since 2015, his 10,033 receiving yards and 64 touchdowns rank seventh in the league.
Amari Cooper Looks to Have Unfinished Business
Cooper is heading back to the Silver and Black for his 11th NFL season. A five-time Pro Bowl receiver and the 2015 first-round pick of the Raiders, the 31-year-old brings plenty of experience and aims to prove he still has plenty left to contribute.
“It was an opportunity to finish what I started,” Cooper said (h/t Raiders.com). “I think that was probably the main thing.”
Moreover, Cooper admitted that head coach Pete Carroll played a role in his decision. With unproven depth behind Meyers at wide receiver, it’s no surprise that Carroll wanted the Alabama product to return to the Silver and Black.
“I can tell he’s a player’s coach, an old-school coach,” Cooper added when talking about Carroll. “Obviously has a career history of winning. … I’ve always been a fan of Geno’s [Smith] game. I used to watch him a lot when he was in college. Maxx [Crosby], everybody talks about how amazing of a player he is.”
It will be interesting to see if Carroll can squeeze out whatever prime football Cooper has, but regardless of what happens, the wideout should have the opportunities to get his career back on track.
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. He previously covered the league for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has contributed as a freelance writer for The Sporting News. He also served as an editor for Athlon Sports and Heavy Sports focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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