Surprise Report on Amari Cooper-Browns Dynamic Emerges Amid Holdout

With training camp a week away, Cleveland Browns fans are wondering if the team will ink star wide receiver Amari Cooper to a contract extension.

The 30-year-old wide receiver didn’t attend mandatory minicamp last month as he’s looking for a new contract. Cooper is entering the final year of a five-year, $100 million extension he signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 2020.

Cooper is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with the Browns and has seen multiple wide receivers get paid this offseason. The Browns weren’t surprised by Cooper not showing up to minicamp. Also, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported that both parties want this resolved by the start of training camp.

As we get closer to camp in Berea, OH, the latest reporting suggests that there’s still hope for a new deal.

Browns Rumors: Cleveland Hopes to Reach Agreement With Star Receiver Soon

Mary Kay Cabot wrote Tuesday that the Browns “still love” Cooper despite him holding out for minicamp and “hope to reach an agreement before veterans report to training camp.” Vets are scheduled to report by July 23.

If you are a Browns fan, you are excited to hear that the two sides are still working towards a deal. For Cleveland’s passing game to be successful this coming season, they must have Cooper on the field.

Last season, the veteran wide receiver went off for 72 receptions (128 targets) for 1,250 yards and five touchdowns. Cooper did all of this despite having multiple starting quarterbacks under center.

Spotrac projects the former Cowboys receiver’s calculated market value is a four-year, $88 million deal with an average annual salary of $22.1 million. 

It will be interesting to see if the two sides come close to that number, as Cooper is one of the most underrated wideouts in the NFL. Without Cooper on the field, the Browns’ wide receiver group takes a massive hit and places them behind the 8-ball in the AFC North.

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