Two of the more decorated wide receivers in recent memory have yet to sign with a new team this offseason. With 11 Pro Bowl selections and 12 1,000+ receiving yard seasons between them, Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper frequently dominated in the latter half of the 2010s and the beginning of the 2020s.
However, they are yet to join a team this offseason after relatively underwhelming seasons in 2024. But, even factoring in their reduced numbers from a season ago, one analyst believes the duo could be the pivotal piece for a playoff contender’s evolution into a true championship contender.
Is Keenan Allen or Amari Cooper the Missing Ingredient for the Denver Broncos?
The Denver Broncos entered this offseason trying to elevate from a wild-card team to a potential division winner with Super Bowl aspirations. After finishing with arguably the best defense in the league last season, improving the supporting cast around their rookie quarterback, Bo Nix, was a top priority for the organization.
Payton confirmed the exact plan Denver had for the offseason by announcing the “jokers” he wanted on the roster, namely, dual threats who could excel through the air as well as the ground game. The idea was to build a more dynamic offense around Nix.
In Evan Engram and RJ Harvey, the Broncos found two players who fit the bill. However, their offseason personnel acquisitions might not be over. For Seth Walder of ESPN, in his breakdown of each team’s offseason, Denver got a shining A- grade.
But his admiration for their work had more to do with the continuity and potential upgrades for a defense that finished first in PFSN’s Defense+ metric. Bringing back D.J. Jones and adding Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw were extremely prudent moves in Walder’s estimation.
However, he still believes the offense needs some tweaks. Most importantly, Walder wasn’t fully sold on the Engram addition for two reasons. The first involves his age and injury history, especially in recent years.
2+ minutes of Bo Nix’s arm beating defenders to windows, working closing MOF windows, working far hash concepts and launching throws downfield. pic.twitter.com/Hgu5BgEATw
— Robby (@Robby_NFL) January 10, 2025
“Engram, who will turn 31 before the season, is no sure bet considering his age and the hamstring and labrum injuries that limited him to nine games in 2024.”
The other, of course, is the amount he’s costing the Broncos.
“Denver didn’t get Engram for cheap ($11.5 million per year and $16.5 million fully guaranteed), but he represents a huge upgrade.” As a result, Walder believes the Broncos could try to add some more receiver depth around Courtland Sutton.
Rather than praying for a breakout from the likes of Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin, he believes a better choice might be a veteran like Allen or Cooper. Both wideouts had 2024 seasons that fell below their standards.
Whether it was the Chicago Bears’ messy offensive/coaching situation for Allen, or a trade to the Buffalo Bills that didn’t really work out as planned for Cooper, neither wideout was able to eclipse the 800-yard mark in 2024.
But with clear roles in Denver, they could be vital cogs to improving an offense that ranked 16th in PFSN’s Offense+ metric last season.
