Amari Cooper: Browns likely won’t have interest in star wide receiver at current price
By Greg Newland
With rumors that Amari Cooper could be available, many believe he is a good fit for the Cleveland Browns. Money could keep a deal from getting done.
With the Cleveland Browns in the heat of offseason mode with the NFL combine this week, and free agency just under two weeks away, major rumors have started rumbling in the NFL. The Browns have a huge need at wide receiver, and speculation is the Dallas Cowboys will be releasing star receiver, Amari Cooper.
With big money due to Dak Prescott, Demarcus Lawrence, and others, the Cowboys appear willing to eat $6 million in dead cap to save $16 million of cap space in 2022. Cooper is under contract through 2024 currently and will save the team an additional $28 million in cap the next two seasons.
Cooper will get a ton of attention from teams once he hits the market. This is a guy who has over 7,000 yards receiving in his eight-year career and had his best two seasons as a pro in 2019 and 2020 where he had over 1,110 yards each season.
Cooper has good size at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, and he is very quick in and out of routes. Truthfully, he would be a great fit for the Cleveland Browns offense. His ability to get across the field and extend plays after the catch is much to be desired.
As much as many would love to see Andrew Berry sign Cooper (if released), don’t count on it to happen. There’s no reason to believe he will take any less than his current contract of $20 million per year, and I don’t see that type of salary fitting into the budget this year.
If you want to keep David Njoku and Jadeveon Clowney, which is already a stretch, there just won’t be enough money. I do expect the Browns to sign a wide receiver in free agency, but I don’t see it being a guy with a price tag like Cooper.
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The one thing that could help the Browns, is if Cooper was interested in a one-year deal, which is assuming his market interest isn’t as hot as expected. Cleveland could then bring him in for one season to prove he is still elite, and give Baker Mayfield the big-time target he desperately needs.