Getty Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper
There had been increasing optimism about the Eagles landing the top receiver on the market. Not anymore.
Amari Cooper has reportedly been in talks to sign a contract extension in Dallas. The impending free agent will command an insanely lucrative deal and may be looking to become the highest-paid player at his position. For the record, Atlanta’s Julio Jones owns that distinction now at $22 million per year.
The Eagles had been rumored to be front-runners to land Cooper as reports continue to surface that the Cowboys can’t afford to sign the 25-year-old receiver. In fact, NFL Network’s Jane Slater mentioned that Philadelphia would be an ideal destination.
Meanwhile, Cooper has been pretty open about his desire to remain with the Cowboys and double-downed on his preference in a recent interview on KRLD-FM in Dallas.
“I love being a Dallas Cowboy,” Cooper told the station, via Alabama.com. “I love everything about it. I was just thinking about that today. I think about it almost every day really.”
Amari Cooper on @1053thefan: “I love being a Dallas Cowboy. I love everything about it. Prime time games. I love it here in Frisco. Just the aura of being a Dallas Cowboy. You can’t beat it. I want to be a Dallas Cowboy for life.”
“Prime-time games — we play, it seems, like more night games than anybody, and that always feels good for football players,” Cooper continued. “Everything — the facility, I love it here in Frisco, where I stay at now; just the aura of being a Dallas Cowboy. I mean, you can’t beat it. I want to be a Dallas Cowboy for life.”
Eagles Other Options at WR in Free Agency
There are a bevy of other options in free agency at receiver for the Eagles. The top names generating buzz have been Breshad Perriman, A.J. Green and Robby Anderson. All solid yet expensive backup plans if they can’t land Amari Cooper.
Green, who was linked to Philadelphia at last year’s trading deadline, would be the most interesting — and perhaps the riskiest — choice of the bunch. The soon to be 32-year-old has only played in nine total games since 2018 and missed the entire 2019 season due to lingering foot and ankle issues.
When healthy, he’s a beast. Green has 602 receptions for 8,907 receiving yards since 2011. But the injury-prone playmaker may be looking for top dollar, in the neighborhood of $20 million per year.
A.J. Green (speaking at his football camp in Cincinnati) is entering the final year of his contract with the #Bengals: “I can’t see myself playing anywhere else or playing in a different city.”
Further complicating the matter is that Green has gone on record saying his preference would be to remain in Cincinnati. While talks have stalled between the two sides, a new voice has entered the conversation. Joe Burrow — the projected No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft, and assumed top pick of the Bengals — is openly lobbying for the team to keep Green.
According to NBC Sports’ Peter King, Burrow met with key executives in the Bengals’ front office about the situation. Cincinnati could choose to place the franchise tag on Green, too.
Anderson is another guy sure to get paid in free agency with the negotiations starting around $10 million per year. Not incredibly steep, but the 26-year-old is more of a one-trick pony. He’s a speed receiver and there are a ton of those available in this year’s draft. That, and rumors are the Jets are interested in re-signing him.
Breshad Perriman HAT TRICK! @B_Perriman11 #GoBucs #TBvsDET
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Perriman, on the other hand, could be the perfect alternative as a former first-round pick with incredible wheels, 4.24 40 time. Perriman would be a far cheaper option in free agency, too.
The Buccaneers receiver was ranked No. 38 on Pro Football Focus‘ list of the top free agents. Here is what they wrote:
On his third NFL team already, Breshad Perriman resurrected his career in Tampa Bay this season, particularly with his play down the stretch. A big-bodied receiver with elite speed, Perriman stepped up when the Bucs had an injury crisis at wide receiver and made a lot of big plays for quarterback Jameis Winston. Drops were the curse of his play in Baltimore, but he dropped just one pass in 65 targets for the Bucs, and Jameis Winston had a passer rating of 94.7 when throwing his way. Far from a sure-fire success going forward, Perriman did at least show teams that his first-round talent still exists.
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