Amari Cooper wasn't in attendance for any of the Cleveland Browns mandatory or voluntary practices this offseason. Cooper, who is entering the final year of his contract, is trying to negotiate a new deal and is staying away from the team to push that process along.
Following practice on Wednesday, Dan Labbe spoke with Mary Kay Cabot and Ashley Bastock about his absence. They noted that this was likely not a surprise for general manager Andrew Berry, who might have already known Cooper wanted a new deal.
They also mentioned that teammates have been going to bat for Cooper. Deshaun Watson said he needed Cooper on the field, saying he's "the best in the game." David Njoku also publicly stated Cooper is a key cog in their offense and they need him back.
How much would it take for the Browns to keep Cooper?
On Friday, Mary Kay and Dan Labbe again touched on the subject of Amari Cooper. This time, they dove into his contract on the Orange and Brown Talk podcast.
When asked, Cabot said a reasonable price for Cooper would be in the neighborhood of $26 million over two years. She added that the Browns could give him a large amount of that up front as a bonus and spread the hit out, potentially even lowering his number for 2024.
What was encouraging was her belief that there's some common ground between the two teams and that it won't be too hard for them to come to terms on a new deal.
Cooper is the first player in franchise history to record 1,000 yards receiving in back-to-back seasons. Having him back with a healthy Deshaun Watson could help the Cleveland offense take a huge step forward this season.
