What Could the Return of Former Pro Bowl Receiver Mean for the Raiders?
On the day before cut day, the Las Vegas Raiders agreed to a one-year deal with their former first-round pick, Amari Cooper. Cooper has remained unsigned all offseason after a down year by his standards, having less than 600 total receiving yards for the first time in his career. He started 2024 with the Browns before getting traded to the Bills in October to hopefully play as the number one pass-catching option for Josh Allen. In eight regular season games and three playoff games with the Bills, Cooper largely did not meet this hope, which left Cooper looking for a job. Coming back home to the Raiders gives Cooper a chance to return to his old form and potentially have a chance of being the top receiver for a young and hopeful team.
For the Raiders, it is likely no coincidence that this signing comes soon after a trade request from their current top receiver, Jakobi Meyers. The trade request comes after failing to secure a new contract extension as Meyers is set to play the 2025 season on the last year of his three-year contract with the Raiders. The Amari Cooper signing could signal that the Raiders expect to trade Meyers at some point soon or that the front office is at the very least worried about their receiver depth without Meyers. Assuming a Meyers trade that does not include a receiver as part of the return package occurs, the Raiders will have a receiver room consisting of Cooper, Tre Tucker, and three rookies. Even if the Raiders retain Meyers, Cooper could be a diverse complement on the outside to Meyers and tight end Brock Bowers, who operate more in the middle of the field.
For the rookies, the Amari Cooper signing and the potential Jakobi Meyers departure shake up what was expected of them coming into their first year. Fourth-round rookie Dont’e Thornton has already had a great offseason to cement himself as part of the rotation and potentially the second receiver on the depth chart. If Meyers and Cooper are both still on the team by opening kickoff, Thornton still has an argument to be the second wide receiver in two wide receiver sets and definitely the third in 11 personnel as a deep target field stretcher. If Meyers is traded, Thornton could gain more targets in a less competitive receiving room, and it is not difficult to see Thornton leading the Raiders’ receivers in yards with his blazing speed as a prime target for Geno Smith’s deep ball. Tommy Mellott, a sixth-round quarterback converted to receiver, should remain unaffected, as he was seen as a long-term project who might play in 2025 as a returner. Out of all the rookies, the second-round rookie, Jack Bech, is the most affected. Bech is a similar receiver to Meyers, and Meyers’ potential departure could open up playing time for Bech to play in that vacated role. Part of the reason why the Raiders may be hesitant to pay Meyers long-term money is because they see Bech as the eventual successor, and the Amari Cooper signing signals that this succession may happen one year sooner than expected. If Meyers isn’t traded, Cooper could still be a great receiver for Bech to learn from as Bech and the Raiders find a way to utilize the talents that made Bech a second-round draft pick.
