Mari Cooper missed the first day of the Cleveland Browns’ required minicamp, but quarterback Deshaun Watson has his back.
Cooper is entering the final year of his contract and is looking for a new one. Skipping the initial mandatory workouts of the offseason communicates to the organization that he prefers to get something done sooner rather than later. Cooper might face a fine for missing the sessions without an excuse.
Ideally, the Browns would have all of their weapons ready as they set up the system under new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. However, Watson is convinced that when Cooper arrives, he will be ready to go.
“Amari is our brother, our teammate,” Watson explained on Tuesday, June 11. “We support him and the decisions he needs to make for himself. Everyone in his locker room respects him and understands what he’s about, and when he returns, he’ll be ready to go.
Last season, Cooper led the Browns’ offense despite receiving passes from four different quarterbacks. He totaled 1,250 yards on 72 catches. Cooper’s greatest effort was on Christmas Eve against the Houston Texans. He caught 11 receptions for 265 yards, a team single-game record.
“He’s the best in the game,” Watson declared. “I believe he shows it every year. He’s demonstrated that over the last two years with various quarterbacks, so I believe he should be considered among the greatest.
Browns React to Amari Cooper Skipping Minicamp
Frankly, the Browns cannot afford to lose Cooper, and he deserves an extension. Since moving to Cleveland, he’s had two 1,000-yard seasons in a row. In addition, the Browns lack another receiver who could take over as the starter.
Cleveland is integrating new receiver Jerry Jeudy into their offense. The Browns also want to see improvement from Elijah Moore in his second season. Moore had a career-high 59 receptions for 640 yards last season. He’s also entering the final year of his deal.
Kevin Stefanski, the Browns’ head coach, is concentrating on the players in attendance and leaving the Cooper problem to the front office.
“You really have to focus on the guys that are here,” Stefanski said. “I recognize that these scenarios can arise. I’ll leave all of that to Amari and her agent, AB (general manager Andrew Berry), and those types of conversations.”
Browns Want to Keep Amari Cooper Around
Cooper’s issue could be that Cleveland gave a receiver an extension in the summer. After trading for Jeudy in March, the Browns signed him to a three-year contract deal.
Jeudy will receive up to $58 million. Of that amount, $41 million is completely guaranteed. The team formally confirmed the extension on Tuesday, March 19.
That being said, the Browns and Berry have made it obvious that Cooper is someone they want to retain around.
“Look, Coop is a Pro Bowl-caliber receiver,” Berry added. “He’s played exceptionally well for us over the last two years. He’s a commanding presence in the locker room. We adore him. So with players like that, you want to make sure you can have them for as long as possible, and we’ll work through all of that at the appropriate moments.”
Wide receiver contracts have risen this offseason. Justin Jefferson signed a $140 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings. AJ Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles also signed a contract deal worth $32 million per year. It’s a strong sign for Cooper, who won’t reset the market but could profit handsomely.