Ian Rapoport reports that Amari Cooper has been traded to the Browns.
Dynasty-wise, I am mildly optimistic that this could be good for his fantasy value. Yes, the Cowboys pass a ton more than the Browns. But the Browns have a lot less mouths to feed. Cooper should become the #1 target immediately. And even if his volume will not skyrocket, he should give fantasy owners a much more steady production in his new role.
In Dallas, he could vanish for several games in a row, before putting up another big performance. But you never knew when these came, which rendered him unstartable.
In Cleveland, his ceiling will be lower, but his floor could become much higher. Cooper has a chance to become a solid mid-range WR2, which would be a step forward from previous years. For more, the Browns’ passing volume isn’t big enough, though.
I had planned to sell him at any cost this offseason, but am now ready to keep him, unless I get a good offer. The trade didn’t turn him into a top asset, but it certainly didn’t hurt his dynasty value.
Three letters for you: OBJ. Even WR1’s can disappear in Cleveland, which is very much a run-first team.
Cooper is the modern day Randy Moss, who plays when he wants to play. He may be ok this season, but he’ll get bored and back to his old ways by next season. If you want to ride him this year, go for it, but look for the exit soon. Even then, if this recent decline is more age-related, that may be too late.
Coop is 27. That’s a critical age for an RB, but not for a WR.
Dallas mostly followed strict game plans last season. If Cooper was part of that game plan, he was great for fantasy purposes. If not, he disappeared. But the same was true for all pass catchers, with the exception of Dalton Schultz.
OBJ clearly is a warning sign for WRs in Cleveland. So is Baker Mayfield. The fact that the two of them had no noticable connection led to OBJ’s production falling off a cliff.
The risk that the same will happen with Cooper is there. But I wouldn’t necessarily expect the OBJ dilemma to repeat for Cooper.
Plus, there still is a chance that the Browns will also make a move on QB. They are not sold on Mayfield. If they sign Jameis Winston or maybe even Deshaun Watson, Cooper would have a shot at becoming a fantasy WR1 again.
I wouldn’t bet on it. But I still see a realistic chance that his fantasy value could be higher after the 2022 season than it is right now. I’d be surprised if any owner in my league would offer a lot more than a mid 2nd for him right now. So even if the expirement fails and Coop becomes droppable, it’s not like I lost a ton of value.
Why would any free agent QB go to Cleveland? They are a run-first team under the current HC. QB careers go there to die.
Cooper is also a cancer in the locker room. You heard about him getting into an argument with Dak, calling him the “black Kirk Cousins”?
As for his age, it isn’t about his age so much as his attitude. Even when he was with the Raiders, he would disappear in games when he would suddenly develop stone hands. He did that again last season for Dallas. I don’t know what is happening behind the scenes to cause this, but this has happened with two separate teams now. Great WR’s don’t just disappear for long stretches like Cooper does.
Like I said, he may do well this season, as a new home usually seems to invigorate him, like it did with his first season in Dallas. Just watch out for year 2 or 3.
And I’m sorry if you’re a troll. I’d rather be wrong once than be you.
I got Deshaun Watson wrong? Let’s face it: Deshaun hasn’t exactly been the king of good judgement. So he decided to choose Cleveland, a team that has been been a run-first team since Kevin Stefanski got there. Maybe Stefanski is changing his ways? Or maybe Watson will be just as miserable there as he was in Houston.
You can accuse me of being wrong, and I accept that. But my comments were hardly ignorant. As for your crude rant against me, you seem to have a lot of pent-up hostility. You may want to seek professional help for that.