3 Reasons the Raiders should bring back WR Amari Cooper
By Alex Perl
3 Reasons the Raiders should bring back WR Amari Cooper
Need
The Raiders need receiving help. Although Hunter Renfrow made the Pro Bowl this season, and Darren Waller is one of the best tight ends in the league, there is a major need for a #1 receiver here.
Renfrow showed that he can shoulder the burden if needed, and was spectacular in 2021 – however, he was alone in carrying the burden, with Waller missing a huge chunk of the season due to injury, and a lack of consistent depth behind him in the wide receiver department.
The loss of Henry Ruggs surely played a huge role in this, but whatever the case, the loss of Ruggs just further stamps the need for a proven #1 receiver to join this franchise.
As the league has shown, you should never have a lack of dependable receiving options. The AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals are a reminder of this. Joe Burrow, the Bengals quarterback, had a slew of talent at receiver around him, with nearly three 1,000 yard receivers as the Bengals nearly won the super bowl.
Cooper can be brought in on a cheap deal, while bigger money can be divvied out to a larger fish at the wide receiver position such as Davante Adams, or whoever the Raiders can bring in this offseason, as the wide receiver free agent class is deep this year.
Maybe with some depth around him, Cooper can have a much better time this second go-round, and although his former Raider teammate Michael Crabtree was a dependable number two alongside him, adding a talent like Adams or something along the lines of Chris Godwin can take more pressure off of Cooper, and have him operate as the number two or three receiver.
In Dallas and in his days as an Oakland Raider, Cooper had the unfortunate circumstances of always being covered by the opposing team’s top cornerback. Maybe in a number two or three wide receiver position, Cooper can be a dependable target for Carr in a different manner than his first stint.
The Raiders have a major need at wide receiver, and if you can get a 4x Pro Bowler on a cheap deal in the prime of his career, why would you say no?