March 04, 2022
It's no secret that the Eagles are looking for receiving help. It's also no secret that their rivals, the Cowboys, have plenty of talented receivers and are currently over the salary cap.
And so the following report comes as no surprise at all, when you think about it.
Cowboys are “likely” to release WR Amari Copper by the start of the new league year, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 4, 2022
Cooper is due $20 million in fully guaranteed money on the fifth day of the new league year, March 20.
The move will free up $16 million in much needed cap relief for Dallas and result in a $6 million hit for them in 2022. It also gets them off the hook for three more years of Cooper (with CeeDee Lamb under contract and Cedric Wilson and Michael Gallup set to be free agents).
Cooper is 27 and has been to six Pro Bowls in eight NFL seasons. In a down year in 2021, Cooper had 865 yards on 68 grabs, numbers that would lead in Philadelphia. He had eight touchdowns, and has 46 in his career.
Getting Cooper to come to Philly might be a tough sell, as they passed the least of any NFL team last year. However perhaps Cooper's presence would change that a bit, giving Jalen Hurts a very reliable target. The Eagles would also need to make the money work and Cooper is absolutely going to want to get paid.
Still, the Eagles can get a jumpstart on rounding out their receivers room if they move quickly on Cooper, who is available to sign ahead of the start of free agency in two weeks because he wasn't supposed to be a free agent and was (or will be) cut. The wideout market will be interesting to watch, with superstars like Chris Godwin and Devante Adams technically free agents who are expected to sign franchise tags. Other free agents the Eagles could be interested in include Allen Robinson and D.J. Chark. It's clear, however, if the price is right, a player like Cooper could be ideal for the Eagles offense.
If Cooper were to enter the fold, Quez Watkins would continue to be a speedy threat in the slot. The Eagles would be able to fill out the roster by potentially taking a mid or late round wideout in the draft who they can develop slowly, or could add a veteran for depth via free agency.
We'll have to see if there is any smoke once Cooper officially becomes available and how much interest Howie Roseman indeed has in the five-time 1,000 yard pass catcher.
Follow Evan on Twitter: @evan_macy
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
