New England Patriots Preparing To Sign Amari Cooper?
Are the New England Patriots preparing to sign Amari Cooper?
Heading into free agency, the biggest question surrounding the Patriots is Tom Brady.
Brady is an unrestricted free agent and as such has the power to either stay in, or depart from, New England.
To date, he has made his two main requests for the Patriots very clear.
First and foremost, he wants to be compensated fairly. Over the course of his career, the 42-year-old has often taken less money for the sake of building a better team. Now, with this likely being his final contract as a player, he wants to get paid.
Secondly, Brady wants some help. Ever since the retirement of tight end Rob Gronkowski, the future Hall of Famer has had zero in the way of offensive support. That also explains why he remains so tight with wide receiver Antonio Brown – even in one game together Brady saw what the future could hold if he had even one competent offensive weapon.
With all that in mind, it is understandable why New England would be interested in signing Cooper.
Cooper is a free agent coming off a great season with the Dallas Cowboys. Popular wisdom has been that he would remain in Dallas, but that is not set in stone.
If the 25-year-old does not get a favorable deal from the Cowboys, he could seek out greener pastures.
According to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report, those greener pastures may be New England.
“There’s a chance that Amari Cooper could be the highest-paid receiver in football next year and playing for the Patriots,” he said.
“Indeed, teams around the league increasingly believe that the Cowboys’ No. 1 target will be playing elsewhere next year.”
Freeman is not alone in his assessment.
CBS NFL insider Nate Burleson has also suggested a possible Cooper-Patriots deal.
“I know a lot of guys want money,” he said.
“But like I’ve always said, if I could talk to a young Nate Burleson, who went through free agency three times, I would say, ‘Know what? It’s not always about the money. It could be about the legacy.’
“So consider the free agents that are out there that are sitting back saying, ‘Man, I hope the Patriots call me.’ Maybe Teddy Bridgewater’s hoping the Patriots call,” he continued.
“You know, guys like Amari Cooper that are hoping that the Patriots call. I know A.J. Green has a situation going on with the Cincinnati Bengals, but you just hope the Patriots call.
“I feel like there are a lot of individuals that want a ring or at least a chance to get it versus going and getting money elsewhere.”
The Cowboys have consistently maintained up to this point that re-signing Cooper this summer was their No. 2 priority behind re-signing quarterback Dak Prescott.
However, despite them saying that, they are still no closer to a deal with Prescott than they have been at any point in the last year. And if they cannot work out a deal with their top priority, what indication is there that something different will happen with their No. 2 priority?
One way or another, the Patriots will make a play for Cooper. Whether they ultimately get him or not remains to be seen.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
