Amari Cooper, Las Vegas Raiders
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(Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
On August 25, the Las Vegas Raiders signed a deal to bring back veteran receiver Amari Cooper. The 31-year-old, the franchise’s 2015 first-round pick, agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract,NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported.
Having a veteran presence on a young offense featuring Brock Bowers, Ashton Jeanty, Jack Bech, and Dont’e Thornton Jr. is rarely a bad idea. However, one expert believes Cooper could take snaps away from the younger receivers.
The Athletic’s Robert Mays criticized the Silver and Black front office for not allowing their young players to develop through on-field experience.
“It almost feels like this isn’t worth it,”Mays said on “The Athletic Football Show.” “It reminds me of the Keenan Allen thing.It’s just like, just roll with the kids. What does adding Amari Cooper at this stage do for you?
“Unless you are truly terrified of whatyou’re going to get from those outside receivers, it almost feels like it would be more valuable this year to let them take their lumps a little bit than have this version of Amari Cooper taking 500 snaps for you. I just don’t get why that’s beneficial to the multi-year plan for the Raiders.”
Did the Raiders Make a Mistake Signing Amari Cooper?
Mays wasn’t the only one on the show critical of the Raiders signing Cooper at this stage of his career. Dave Helman noted that bringing in a veteran like the Alabama product makes sense for a playoff contender seeking that missing piece. Nonetheless, that isn’t the Raiders.
“Acquiring Amari makes a ton of sense for a Buffalo who’s like, we just need a guy who can just give us a little something extra to try to get us into the AFC title game, even though Amari was hurt for a lot of that run,” Helman said.
“That’s why you do that if you’re close to getting over the hump. Amari Cooper at this stage in his career on a team like this, and I love Amari, but it just feels more like a progress stopper than anything.”
Can Amari Cooper Take Advantage of This Opportunity?
It’s a one-year deal between Cooper and the Raiders. However, for the receiver, this season is one in which he probably wants to show that he’s healthy. Furthermore, if he shows that he still has plenty of football left in the tank, other opportunities can open.
“It’s still the Raiders,” Cooper said on August 26 (h/tLas Vegas Journal-Review). “It’s nice. It’s a good feeling, a full-circle moment. I’m excited about the opportunity, and I’m ready to embrace it.Trust me, I still have some juice left. I felt like this was the opportunity for me to show it.”
Cooper is coming off a disappointing 2024 season. Injuries limited him to 44 catches for 547 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games split between the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills. Moreover, he had reached the 1,000-yard mark in five of the previous six seasons.
If Cooper performs well but Las Vegas fall out of playoff contention by the NFL trade deadline on November 5, the team could still trade him and gain a draft pick to aid their rebuild.