Amari Cooper is still on the free agency market as NFL training camps approach. The Alabama product is coming off a down year in 2024, as he struggled to find a role in the Buffalo Bills offense after being traded there from the Cleveland Browns during the trade deadline.
Though Cooper wasn't very productive in 2024, the veteran receiver can still provide some value for a team as a potential starter. The 30-year-old is just two years removed from an excellent 2023 campaign with the Browns, where he tallied a career-high 1,250 yards.
One team that could use some receiver help is the Las Vegas Raiders, and The Lead's Ezra Lombardi lists Las Vegas as a top landing spot for Cooper.
"For some reason, the Raiders have no interest in rebuilding. They just hired 73-year-old Pete Carroll to be their new head coach, who then signed 34-year-old Geno Smith to a two-year, $75 million contract. So, just for his age alone, Cooper would be a good fit. It would also be a full-circle singing for Cooper, who began his career in Oakland in 2015. And besides, Las Vegas needs receiver help. Outside of Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers, there isn’t much reliable production, which Cooper could be a quick fix for," Lombardi wrote.
Cooper going back to the Raiders would be a logical move for both sides, as the aging pass catcher would receive the opportunity to start in Las Vegas, and Chip Kelly's offense needs more viable pass-catching options for quarterback Geno Smith, who is entering his first year with the Raiders after being traded from the Seattle Seahawks.
Additionally, Las Vegas has the cap space to sign Cooper, as the franchise has $36.1 million to work with, per Over the Cap. Due to his lackluster campaign last year, Cooper shouldn't demand top dollar on the market and he should come for a bargain, given that he is still on the market in June.
Overall, the Raiders need more firepower on offense to compete with the top teams in the AFC. Pairing Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers with Cooper would be a savvy move from Las Vegas and give them a better chance of fielding a consistent offense in 2025.