https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/breaking-news/article/amari-cooper-reportedly-signing-1-year-deal-with-las-vegas-raiders-214039416.html
A midseason trade to the Buffalo Bills was probably costly for Amari Cooper.
Cooper joined the Bills, with hopes that he could be a big piece in a championship push, and was very quiet. Cooper had just 297 yards in eight regular-season games with the Bills. He had just 41 yards in three playoff games. A wrist injury might have contributed to that, but he still had to wait a while to sign as a free agent.
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Cooper’s wait has ended, as he prepares to sign a one-year contract with the Las Vegas Raiders, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday. That means Cooper will return to the very franchise that selected him in the 2015 NFL Draft with the No. 4 overall pick — then located in Oakland, California, before relocating to Las Vegas. Over 47 starts, Cooper totaled 225 receptions, 3,183 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns in black and silver.
The news of Cooper’s intended signing with his former franchise comes just hours following a previous report that veteran wideout Jakobi Meyers has requested a trade from the Raiders.
Cooper is entering his age-31 season, but before last season, he was consistently productive for the Raiders, Cowboys and Browns. In 2023, he had 1,250 yards and made the Pro Bowl. Just a few months ago, he was worth the Bills trading third- and seventh-round picks to the Browns (Buffalo also got back a sixth-round pick in the deal). He has seven 1,000-yard seasons in his career. Last season can be written off as an anomaly, especially with the wrist injury he dealt with in Buffalo, but there wasn’t a hot market for his services as free agency started.
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Cooper does have a strong track record, and there weren’t many impact receivers available in free agency this season, which made Cooper’s wait a little surprising. But now that he’s on a team, he can probably provide a steady veteran presence not too far removed from a Pro Bowl season, even at 31 years old.
The Raiders look a bit different since Cooper last played for the franchise, with a few key additions on offense dating back to last season, including star tight end Brock Bowers, entering his second NFL season, as well as No. 6 overall pick Ashton Jeanty out of Boise State and free agent signing Geno Smith at quarterback.
https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/breaking-news/article/amari-cooper-reportedly-signing-1-year-deal-with-las-vegas-raiders-214039416.html
