Pros and Cons of Lions Acquiring WR Amari Cooper

Amari Cooper is likely going to part ways with the Dallas Cowboys this offseason. Should the Detroit Lions look to sign him?

The Detroit Lions direly need to add to their wide receiving corps during the 2022 offseason. This much is known.

Lions wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El has already gone on record expressing his desire to add multiple wideouts to the room this offseason. 

How they go about it is a different situation. The team will have opportunities to do so through both free agency and the NFL Draft. 

Though many believe general manager Brad Holmes and company will elect to use the draft to find a pass catcher, there will be opportunities to sign talented wideouts through free agency.

One of those options could be Amari Cooper, who is “likely” to be released by the Dallas Cowboys, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

So, could Cooper end up with the Lions in 2022?

Picked No. 4 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft, Cooper spent the first three-and-a-half seasons of his career with the then-Oakland Raiders, before being traded to Dallas. He’s had five seasons over 1,000 receiving yards, including back-to-back campaigns in 2019-20.

The reason for his release isn’t necessarily tied to his talent. The Cowboys have young wideout CeeDee Lamb rising to the position of WR1, so Cooper has become expendable.

From a talent perspective, Cooper is absolutely a good fit for the Lions. He would walk in and instantly be both the most established and most talented receiving option in the organization.

The Lions already have a reliable receiving target in Amon-Ra St. Brown, who became a top option and set the organization’s record for receiving yards by a rookie. However, outside of him, the team has little in the way of proven talent at the position. 

Quintez Cephus had a strong start to the 2021 season before suffering a season-ending broken collarbone. However, many of the Lions’ other contributors out wide are in contract years, including Josh Reynolds and Kalif Raymond.

Detroit will have to make a decision on those upcoming free agents. If it commits to Cooper, it likely cannot afford to bring back either Reynolds or Raymond.

Cooper is set to enter his age-28 season, meaning he still has time before entering the age where receivers traditionally begin to decline. This, however, could create a market for him that the Lions would be unwilling to compete in.

In 2021, Cooper signed a five-year, $100 million contract, worth $20 million annually. While his second contract may command that sort of money, it’s likely that it will be somewhere in the double-digit million category. 

The Lions are projected to have around $19.7 million in cap space heading into the offseason, according to OverTheCap. Because of this, they likely won’t be willing to shell out significant dollars, even for a player of Cooper’s caliber.

By making cuts, Detroit could potentially create the cap space necessary to make a big move. However, the dilemma then becomes committing to Cooper vs. opting to take and develop a young receiver in the draft.

Holmes has said the organization is entering the player acquisition phase, meaning the team is looking to upgrade. It’s known that Holmes is ready to upgrade the team, with hopes of getting it closer to playoff contention.

Part of that starts with upgrading offensive firepower, and Cooper would certainly provide just that. If Holmes wants to get the team into contention mode heading into 2022, then it should absolutely make a move to bring in the former Alabama receiver.

This can only be done by creating the necessary cap space, though. 

So, the Lions will have to part with other options in the organization. Running back Jamaal Williams, offensive guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai and defensive end Trey Flowers are all potential cap casualties.

By signing Cooper, the Lions could address other positions in the early rounds of the draft, while potentially adding a depth piece at receiver later. This strategy could prove beneficial for an organization looking to find a way into the playoffs.