Amari Cooper

The Saints do not have a bigger roster need in 2020 than wide receiver. Michael Thomas caught 119 more passes than the next-best wideout (Ted Ginn Jr., who is a free agent), which would qualify him for first-team All-Pro recognition by itself. But as we saw in the playoffs, he can’t put the world on his shoulders forever. Saints coach Sean Payton has creatively integrated Jared Cook, and Alvin Kamara, and Taysom Hill into the passing game, but it’s still a one-man show at wide receiver. At some point all the exotic designs and trickery goes out the window, and you’ve got to just beat a team straight up.

That makes Cooper an enticing target. He’s revived his career with the Dallas Cowboys, posting the highest pace of receiving yards per game (74.3) since his rookie year with the Oakland Raiders, but it hasn’t been enough to get him the top-tier receiver contract he covets. New Orleans has already made Thomas a $100 million man, so it’s not realistic to think they can pay him that too.

So here’s the case for Cooper taking a one-year deal with the Saints. He’d feast against number-two coverage assignments with Thomas drawing most of the attention, allowing him to finally break out and get over the 1,200-yard hump (he’s come close, finishing with 1,005 to 1,189 yards in four of his five seasons). That’s the sort of production other teams need to see to justify the huge contract even the Cowboys have shied away from. With a new head coach in place in Dallas and so many other free agents to manage (including quarterback Dak Prescott and Mike McCarthy staple Randall Cobb), it’s possible Cooper leaves for another fresh start.

The Risk: It’s fair to ask how much more the Saints are willing to invest at the skills positions, with Thomas on a market-setting contract and Cook ranking high among tight ends. Even if Cooper agrees to a one-year contract in the $14 million range, that’s more than the Saints have ever committed to the pass-catching corps. At the same time, they’ve never needed more from their receivers than they do now, given Brees’ aging proficiency.

The Reward: Imagine Cooper drawing single coverage across the formation from Thomas, and giving Brees a reliable, accomplished target when teams take away his favorite target. Cooper is just 25, and would turn in monster numbers in that role. It’s as close a thing to an “everyone wins” scenario as you’ll see in the free agency landscape, so long as Cooper is willing to play on a one-year mercenary contract.

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