Amari Cooper 'Likely' To Be Released By Cowboys; Would Patriots Be Able To Add Star Receiver?
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots have seemingly had their eyes set on the wide receivers who will be available in this year's draft. Yet some news on Friday means they could have the option of adding a surefire impact player at the position outside of the draft.
Adam Schefter reported Friday that the Dallas Cowboys are "likely" to release star receiver Amari Cooper before the league year begins in the middle of March.
With the Cowboys sitting over the salary cap, and with Dak Prescott ($34.45 million), Demarcus Lawrence ($27 million), Zack Martin ($20.191 million), Ezekiel Elliott ($18.22 million) and Tyron Smith ($17.505 million) all carrying significant cap hits in 2022, the team clearly has to make a significant move or two. (All numbers from Over The Cap.)
In that sense, a release of Cooper won't be totally shocking.
Still, it's not often that a team parts ways with a player who's entering his age 28 season and who has averaged 1,056 yards and seven touchdowns per season over the past three years.
Cooper did have to miss two games due to COVID last season, thus resulting in a slight dip in his production. He still managed to catch 68 passes for 865 yards, while tying a career high with eight touchdown receptions.
As such, a whole slew of teams will come calling if/when Cooper becomes available.
The leakage of the news, though, may be Dallas' attempt to try to get something in return for losing Cooper before releasing him. So acquiring Cooper may cost a draft pick in exchange for having exclusive rights to try to either pay Cooper on his current deal or work out a new deal. If a team is willing to give up a pick for a player on the verge of being released, then there obviously won't be a sweepstakes to sign him.
Regardless, Cooper is going to be available, if he isn't already. From a New England perspective, where the team clearly lacks a No. 1 option in the offense for Mac Jones, the thought of adding Cooper is tantalizing.
Yet if the Patriots want to add Cooper, it won't be particularly easy. Unlike last year, the Patriots don't have endless amounts of cap room to throw at free agents. Over The Cap has the Patriots with just over $6 million of effective cap space, while Patriots salary cap guru Miguel Benzan has the Patriots with less than $5 million in cap space. That's an issue that's compounded by the long list of Patriots set to become free agents, a list that includes J.C. Jackson, Devin McCourty, Dont'a Hightower, Matthew Slater, Ja'Whaun Bentley, Trent Brown, and Nick Folk.
But if adding a WR1 is a priority of the Patriots this offseason, they'd have a difficult time finding a better option than Cooper. So until and if the receiver signs elsewhere, eyes in New England will remain on the lookout in hopes of Bill Belichick finding a way to haul in the elite Cooper.
