The 2024 season brought the Las Vegas Raiders a 4-13 record and a fourth-place finish in the AFC West, leading to the firings of head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco.
After hiring Pete Carroll and John Spytek to be their respective replacements, the Raiders have been active this offseason to improve their roster, including acquiring quarterback Geno Smith in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks for a third-round pick (No. 92 overall).
Now, Las Vegas is still looking to add to their offense with plenty of cap space remaining and some talented players still on the market. On Friday, Sports Illustrated’s Michael Canelo identified free agent wide receiver Amari Cooper as a “good fit” for the Raiders.
Cooper, 30, played collegiately at Alabama from 2012-14, winning a national championship, a Fred Biletnikoff Award and a Paul Warfield Trophy. He also earned All-SEC, SEC Offensive Player of the Year and All-American honors in his final season with the Crimson Tide.
The Raiders actually originally selected Cooper in the first round (No. 4 overall) of the 2015 NFL draft, and he rewarded them by starting right away and earning Pro Bowl honors as a rookie. He made the Pro Bowl again in 2016 but was eventually traded to the Dallas Cowboys in 2018 for a first-round pick.
Cooper made the Pro Bowl two more times with the Cowboys (2018-19) before they sent him to the Cleveland Browns in 2022 for a fifth-round pick and a sixth-round pick swap.
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After another Pro Bowl season in 2023 with Cleveland, Cooper was traded midseason again (along with a sixth-round pick), this time to the Buffalo Bills for a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 seventh-round pick.
Last season, Cooper had the worst statistical year of his career, appearing in 14 games between the Browns and Bills, catching 44 passes for 547 yards and four touchdowns. Pro Football Focus gave him a 68.3 overall grade for his performance, ranking him 61st out of 98 qualified NFL receivers in 2024. His 69.0 receiving grade was also 61st in the league.
Even in his early 30s, Cooper would be the most talented wide receiver on Las Vegas’ roster in 2025. Jakobi Meyers leads the room right now, but there’s not much else around him at the position.
If the Raiders want to set Smith up for offensive success this year, they have to add more weapons, and Cooper may be the best veteran left in free agency.
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