Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper is preparing to enter the final year of his deal, and he wants some security beyond 2024.
As a result, Cooper has not participated in any of the Browns' offseason activities to date and is in danger of missing the start of training camp next month if the two sides cannot get something done before then.
Cooper is slated to make $20 million in base salary in 2024 and carries a $23.776 million cap hit. Given the amount of money being handed out to wide outs lately, that is a bargain.
Cooper obviously knows this, which is why he appears to be a bit frustrated at the moment. The good news is that Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com sees a path forward and has laid out a scenario in which Cleveland can satisfy Cooper while also maintaining financial flexibility.
Cabot suggests that the Browns offer Cooper a two-year extension worth somewhere in the mid 20s with a decent bonus, a low 2024 base salary and voidable years to spread out the bonus.
A two-year deal would make sense for Cooper. He may want more length based on the contracts some of the other wide outs have landed this offseason, but one key difference is that those guys were all in their mid 20s. Cooper just turned 30.
Let's be honest: Cleveland needs to get something done with Cooper. He is the team's clear No. 1 receiver and is coming off of a fantastic 2023 campaign in which he hauled in 72 receptions for 1,250 yards and five touchdowns, representing arguably the best season of his career. Keep in mind, he did that in spite of the Browns sifting through five different starting quarterbacks.
But at the same time, the Browns cannot afford to mortgage their future for a 30-year-old receiver who could end up declining over the next couple of seasons. The typically durable Cooper was banged up toward the end of last year, and Cleveland has already sunk a sizeable wad of cash into an injury-prone tackle in Jack Conklin. The Browns surely don't want to make that mistake again, which is why some have expressed concern over the team giving Cooper a long-term deal.
It's a rather delicate balancing act for Cleveland, especially considering that Cooper knows the club doesn't have any other legitimate options at the top of the depth chart. The Browns traded for Jerry Jeudy, but he is clearly a No. 2 receiver. Cooper has leverage here, but the closer we get to the regular season, the more leverage Cooper will lose. He isn't going to sit out 2024. Not on the wrong side of 30 with free agency looming next March.
Chances are, the Browns and Cooper will strike a pact sometime soon. A middle ground exists, and the two parties will probably find it.
Well, hopefully.
