The Las Vegas Raiders have two very good targets in the passing game for quarterback Geno Smith, but they are also short on experienced options.
Brock Bowers is a budding superstar tight end, and Jakobi Meyers is one of the most rock-solid No. 2 targets in the league. However, the Raiders don’t have a true No. 1 wide receiver, and they might have to rely heavily on two rookies, Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton.
Ezra Lombardi of The Lead thinks that’s a bad idea and believes the Raiders should instead sign free-agent wide receiver Amari Cooper.
“It would also be a full-circle singing for Cooper, who began his career in Oakland in 2015,” Lombardi pointed out. “And while he was traded away in 2018, it feels like enough time has passed for a homecoming to feel sweet for both sides.
“And besides, Las Vegas needs receiver help,” he added. “Outside of Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers, there isn’t much reliable production, which Cooper could be a quick fix for.”
Cooper is coming off a down season with 547 yards and four touchdowns. Before that he had posted seven 1,000-yard seasons over the last nine years.
While many point to a decline for the 30-year-old, it’s worth noting Cooper had a bad quarterback situation in Cleveland, and then had to switch teams midseason when he joined the Buffalo Bills, where he was also playing through injury.
Even if he is on the downside of his career, Cooper would offer a much-needed experienced option for Smith and would take pressure off the rookies and wide receiver Tre Tucker, who is currently slated for a big role.
Things didn’t end well for Cooper and the Raiders last time around, but that was many regimes ago and a lot of time has passed since then, so it’s plausible he’d be open to reuniting with his former team.
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