One Of Last Year's Eagles Feel-Good Stories Has Battle Ahead

Darius Cooper believes he played his role well last year, and hopes to do so again with strong competition in a battle to win a job again.

Eagles receiver Darius Cooper makes a touchdown catch during a preseason game last summer as an undrafted rookie free agent. | Dan Shrensky/freelance

Maybe two Browns. Maybe two Coopers. The Eagles’ receiver room could have some similar last names this fall, though a lot would have to happen to make that a reality.

First, A.J. Brown would have to be traded. If he isn’t, he would join Hollywood Brown.

Second, the Eagles would have to draft Indiana’s Omar Cooper to join Darius Cooper.

Third, if A.J. isn’t dealt and Omar is drafted, Hollywood and Darius would still have to make the team. Hollywood’s place is probably secure enough. Darius, well, maybe not.

Last year’s feel-good story, making the team as an undrafted free agent from tiny Tarleton State, has a battle ahead of him to make the roster. That was the case last year, and he won it, and ended up playing 212 offensive snaps (26 percent). He was a willing and more than capable blocker, and when the ball was thrown his way, he usually caught it, making nine receptions on 11 targets for 92 yards. All his catches came in the final seven games of the season.

“I feel like I did a solid job,” said Cooper on the Eagles’ locker cleanout day. “I feel I did my job, I played my role that I was supposed to play. I definitely don’t have any regrets on the year, and that’s always a good feeling.”

Darius Cooper's Biggest Lesson

Eagles undrafted free agent receiver Darius Cooper made the team's 53-man roster. | Darius Cooper

Cooper signed a three-year contract, and he is the kind of cheap labor general manager Howie Roseman likes to have on hand, given the top-heavy salaries he is paying the team’s many superstars. This season, Cooper is scheduled to earn a base salary of just over $1 million with a cap hit right around that same number.

Even though Jahan Dotson left in free agency, the Eagles added Hollywood Brown, and Johnny Wilson is expected to return after missing all of last season with knee and ankle injuries. The Eagles also have Britain Covey, Danny Gray, and Quez Watkins expected to battle for a spot.

“Whenever the ball is in the air, whenever the ball touches your hands, my goal is to come down with it,” said Cooper. “I feel like I did a pretty good job when the ball came my way and it touched my hands, I came down with it. That just built confidence in myself.”

Creating separation against some of the best athletes in the world was one of the challenges Cooper said he faced.

“This is a professional league; these guys are professionals at what they do,” he said. “At the same time, I put the work in, and I’m a professional as well. It’s having confidence in yourself. But it’s definitely a big difference from the competition, but I expected that and feel I did a pretty good job.”

Cooper said the biggest thing he learned about playing receiver in the NFL was that there are three different phases of a pattern.

“You have the release, you have the middle of the route, and you have the top of the route,” he said. “You want to win at least two of those phases. You win at the release, boom, you’re good, then you have to catch the ball at the end, too, the top of the route. Or boom, he got me at the release, but I can get him them in the middle of the route, then I gotta win at the top of the route. If you break it down like that, you win two of those three phases, you’ll be all right.”