Jaguars Sign Former All-Pro Return Man Pharoh Cooper, Place Terry Godwin On IR
The Jacksonville Jaguars have made another move with potentially large ramifications for the special teams unit.
The Jaguars are set to sign former All-Pro and Pro Bowl return man Pharoh Cooper, the team announced Thursday. Cooper doubled as a receiver for the Los Angeles Rams at the start of his career and with the Carolina Panthers in 2020.
The Jaguars already have 12 wide receivers on the team's 90-man roster, so adding Cooper would give them a 13th receiver and player No. 91. As a result, the Jaguars will have to make a subsequent roster move to make room for Cooper.
Cooper, 26, was drafted by the Rams in the fourth-round (No. 117 overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. He has played for the Rams, Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, and Cincinnati Bengals.
Cooper has limited production as a receiver, catching 55 receptions for 506 yards (9.2 yards per catch) and one touchdown in 62 career games. His best value comes in the return game,
Cooper's All-Pro and Pro Bowl season in 2018 with the Rams saw him return 32 punts for 399 yards and 34 kicks for 932 yards (12.5 yards per return) and one touchdown, giving him a stellar 27.4 yard per return average. He hasn't been able to reach those same numbers since, though he has still taken plenty of reps at both punt and kick returning.
It remains to be seen what kind of role the Jaguars have in mind for Cooper since they signed a similar player in Jamal Agnew in March. Agnew signed a three-year, $14.25 million deal, which would normally imply he is locked in as the team's starting return man.
Agnew returned 74 punts for 857 yards and four touchdowns in four seasons, an average of 11.6 yards per return. This included two scores and 15.4 yards per return, earning him first-team All-Pro honors as a rookie. Agnew returned one punt for a touchdown and averaged 12.7 yards per return last season.
To make room on the roster, keeping it at 90, the Jaguars moved receiver Terry Godwin to Injured Reserve. Godwin caught three passes for 32 yards in three games in 2020.
