New York Giants: Is Amari Cooper A Play This Offseason?
During the 2019-20 NFL season, Amari Cooper established himself, yet again, as one of the top wide receivers in the NFL while with the Dallas Cowboys. On the year, Cooper caught 79 passes for 1189 yards and eight touchdowns. But now, he’s a free agent. Can the Cowboys afford him? This is where Garrett’s decision to come to the New York Giants could be a smart hire.
Cooper has not shown any disconnect from his time with Garrett. There’s no secret that Garrett has a great offensive mind and while Cooper was treading water with the Oakland Raiders, Garrett and the Cowboys gave his career new life.
But there is one hiccup. According to reports, Amari Cooper is not stressing a contact extension and expects his agent and the Cowboys to work one out. While the desire to stay is there, that’s doesn’t mean the Giants cannot make a move. While playing with a team like the Cowboys is intriguing as they were in the fight for the playoffs until the final game of the season, money and a better opportunity could be a major draw for the receiver.
Last season, the New York Giants finished the year ranked 18th in passing yards as rookie Daniel Jones was thrown into the NFL fire a season too soon. With the trade of Odell Beckham during the offseason, the Giants dealt with a makeshift core of receivers in Golden Tate, Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, and RB Saquon Barkley.
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This could be the pitch that Jason Garrett makes to Cooper. He has the chance to come in and be the No. 1 option. Yes, he has that same role in the Cowboys’ attack but there is still the unknown with the coaching staff. In NY, he knows Garrett and new head coach Joe Judge who has ties to the University of Alabama, where Cooper made his collegiate mark. There is a familiarity there for all three parties.
If it comes down to money, then the Giants and Cowboys both have it to spend. The Giants will come into the offseason with roughly $67M while the Cowboys will have somewhere in the range of $78M. However, they still have to pony up a new contact for Dak Prescott. Will Jerry Jones be willing to have three highly-paid offensive playmakers for a team that failed to make the playoffs with the same core?
The expectations for the New York Giants are not as steep as the Cowboys and that could be another reason that Cooper may want to change his address. As good as Odell Beckham was in a Giants’ uniform, he couldn’t bring home a ring. But what the Giants have going on is proof they’re trying to turn their franchise around.
Adding a talent like Amari Copper will give the New York Giants an offense that could rival some of the top teams in the NFL. But most importantly, it will give Jones the confidence needed to hopefully take that next step.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
