Browns WR Amari Cooper did not report with the rest of the team for manadatory minicamp Tuesday. That followed the veteran staying away from voluntary OTAs as well. Cooper's contract runs out at the end of this season, so he's likely staying away in pursuit of an extension. We'll see whether this spills over into training camp.
GM Andrew Berry in March: "Coop's a Pro Bowl caliber receiver. He's played really well for us the past two years. He's a strong presence in the locker room. We love him. Players like that, you want to make sure that you can retain as long as possible."
HC Kevin Stefanski refused to confirm that Cooper is skipping workouts over his contract. He did, however, say "there's been a dialogue" between Cooper's agent and the team.
QB Deshaun Watson on Cooper: "He's the best in the league. I believe it. He shows it each and every year. He's showed it the last two years with different quarterbacks, so I think you've got to put him up there with the best."
Cooper's historical production is undeniable. There are some questions/challenges to sort out ahead of 2024, though.
Cleveland traded for WR Jerry Jeudy and promptly extended his contract. That should make Jeudy more of an offensive factor than any No. 2 wideout of the past two seasons. Of course, Jeudy's coming off a disappointing year and acclimating to a new team. So we'll see about him.
Watson's coming off shoulder surgery and isn't yet back to full throwing. His status will bear watching after two straight lackluster campaigns in Cleveland.
And the whole offense must get used to new OC Ken Dorsey, who ran one of the league's most pass-heavy offenses in Buffalo before getting fired.
Ultimately, Cooper's worth betting on in his ADP range. But the contract situation will accentuate all these potential question marks more the longer he sits out.
Any time Cooper misses can only help Jeudy garner attention from Watson. But it'll be more important for the newcomer to prove he's actually worth our fantasy attention than whether Cooper's on the field for practices.
Even if the holdout bleeds into training camp, we'd bet on Cooper returning ahead of the season.
If Cooper's holdout drives his ADP down, he'll become a value. He has already been going slightly behind our ranking in best ball ADP.
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