With the recent injuries of star receivers such as Kelvin Benjamin and Jordy Nelson, teams are going to be paying very close attention to both the free agency market and the trade market. With the Eagles now stacked on receivers following the arrival of Nelson Agholor alongside Austin and Ajirotutu to name but two newcomers, do the Eagles finally have leverage when it comes to a trade for the big man?
Cooper brings with him a $4.8m salary cap hit and for a receiver who isn’t the number one or potentially number two guy, it doesn’t make sense to keep him in the long term plans. The case for Riley Cooper since the Chip Kelly era began has become smaller each season. With the emergence of Josh Huff and the superiority of Jordan Matthews, his role could be expected to shrink this year it could be argued. Whilst a case could be made to keep Cooper on the roster for another season for financial purposes and his blocking ability, the Eagles would be wise to acknowledge any trade deals (if any) concerning the 6 season veteran.
Cooper has 16 touchdowns and 2000 yards to his name over his five year stint with the birds whilst catching 148 of 278 targets. He may not have the burst speed of a Jordy Nelson or the 9 TD season of Benjamin. But he perhaps resembles Benjamin better than anyone. He stands at 6″4, just an inch shorter than the Panther.
A blocking wide receiver of Cooper’s experience would hugely benefit Newton and give him a different type of target to throw too whilst if he were to go to Green Bay, he would be embodying the physical style of play they flaunt.
It makes perfect sense for Chip’s “rebuilding” mentality but it remains unlikely that a trade offer would surface. Cooper fits both the Packers and the Panthers style of play and would benefit both teams considering their recent injuries. His name would be sure to float around the back offices but should a trade offer materialise, it would be interesting to see if Kelly stands by his man so valiantly like he has so far or perhaps try to squeeze some extra picks out of it.
