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The New England Patriots need a true No. 1 receiver.
Bill Belichick has already proved he’s in search of an elite pass-catcher by evaluating nearly every top receiver prospect in this year’s draft. Jakobi Meyers led the Patriots last year with 83 catches, 866 yards and two touchdowns — Kendrick Bourne followed with 55 catches for 800 yards and five touchdowns.
Mac Jones didn’t have an elite receiver in one-on-one situations to rely on, and that’s something he will need in Year 2 even more due to the dismantling of the offensive coaching staff. ESPN’s Louis Riddick believes Amari Cooper can be the answer.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Dallas Cowboys are likely to release the 27-year-old this offseason. Cooper’s current contract has him set to earn $22 million in base pay for the 2022 season in Dallas.
“Yeah, I think this has New England Patriots written all over it ’cause they really need someone who has No. 1-wide receiver capability in the form of Amari Cooper,” Riddick said Sunday, transcribed by NESN.” “…The issue with Amari is consistency. This issue with Amari is getting him to do this over 17 games. That’s two teams now that have said, ‘Look, you’re good, but you’re just not worth the money we paid you that was really based on projecting you to be a guy who was a 90-, 100-catch guy per year. He just hasn’t really been able to really dial in and tap into his athletic ability and his football-playing ability at that level.
“New England usually pulls it out of people in a way that many other people aren’t able to. Look, for Mac Jones, this would be the perfect kind of weapon he needs on the outside to go along with a very strong running game and one of the best receiving tight ends in Hunter Henry.”
By releasing Cooper, the Cowboys will only have $6 million against their cap. He was entering the final year of his five-year, $100 million deal and he wasn’t quite living up to it with his 2021 campaign.
The Patriots would have to move things around and come to terms on a much cheaper deal — but, that could be a reality to help revamp Cooper’s trajectory. New England is reportedly much more likely to bring in a skilled veteran then draft a top-tier rookie.
Cooper is one of the best available free agents and he would change the Patriots’ offense, if the money scenario could be figured out.
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