The Chicago Bears need help at wide receiver. Allen Robinson is a free agent. Marquise Goodwin and Damiere Byrd are free agents. Darnell Mooney is the only proven talent they have under contract. Maybe Dazz Newsome has something to offer, but GM Ryan Poles can’t bank on that happening. He must find more options to help Justin Fields. His first opportunity will be in free agency later this month, and now he may have a premier option become available in Amari Cooper.
The 27-year old former Pro Bowler had another solid season in 2021, going for 865 yards and eight touchdowns for the Dallas Cowboys. It is crazy to think a team would consider cutting somebody in his prime. Yet the Cowboys have reached that point. They have several key players becoming free agents in a few weeks. Players they want to keep. The problem is they’re $13 million over the salary cap. If Jerry Jones wants to retain those guys, he must make some tough sacrifices.
It appears Cooper is going to be one of them.
If the Cowboys cut Amari Cooper, he would count $6 million against the salary cap, not $22 million for a team that is projected to be more than $21 million over the cap. A trade with Cooper’s contract is, in the words of one source, “not likely.”https://t.co/iOjlcJIrHI https://t.co/NfcC8f9w5H
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 4, 2022
This presents a considerable dilemma for the Bears. Cooper represents everything Poles covets in a wide receiver. He is good at route-running and boasts genuine game-changing speed. He is an undeniable playmaker. Someone that makes life easier for his quarterback. The visions of him and the equally fast Mooney playing on the same field together would have to excite the new regime up at Halas Hall.
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There is going to be one big issue, though. Money. Chicago won’t be the only team interested in Cooper’s services. The odds are he will want a contract similar to what he got from Dallas at $20 million per year. Maybe even more. With barely $28 million in salary cap space, that would be challenging for the Bears. There is also a strong possibility his price will go up because other teams are bidding for his services. Can Poles do it? Yes. The GM could structure Cooper’s contract to have a manageable 2022 cap hit.
Amari Cooper can help the Bears even if he doesn’t sign here
Making the money work wouldn’t be the biggest challenge for Poles and the front office. It would be convincing the veteran receiver that Chicago is the best place to land. They just got done overhauling their entire power structure after a 6-11 season. They boast a talented but still unproven quarterback in Fields. It is also a cold-weather town. Cooper has played his entire career in warm locations like Alabama, Oakland, and Dallas.
This doesn’t make such a thing impossible, just unlikely. That said, the release of Amari Cooper could end up helping the Bears even if they don’t land him. His arrival on the open market will draw the attention of several other teams. It could enable Poles to make a hard push for other available receivers. Someone that would prove less expensive but still valuable to a team in need of help at the position.
Failing to land Cooper doesn’t mean his presence wouldn’t help.
It will be fascinating to see if the Bears end up making a strong push. Poles has said he wants to be selective in free agency and focus on the draft. Unfortunately, the team has only five picks this year, and they have to start building around Fields as soon as possible. A strong run at Cooper could give them a dynamic 1-2 punch at wide receiver. It would also allow the team to focus on the offensive line in the draft.
