Veteran wide receiver Amari Cooper remains a free agent as the 2025 NFL Draft draws near. Cooper split the 2024 campaign between the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills, helping Buffalo reach the AFC Championship Game. He did not have a great season, though.
Potential Landing Spots for Amari Cooper
Prior to the trade to Buffalo, Cooper caught 24 passes for the Browns, racking up 250 yards and two touchdowns. With the Bills, the veteran wide receiver caught another 20 passes for nearly 300 yards and two touchdowns in eight games.
It was a major step down from 2023, when Cooper caught 72 passes for Cleveland and recorded 1,250 yards with five touchdowns to help the Browns make the playoffs.
This massive decline in production certainly factors into Cooper’s continued availability. With the draft approaching, though, a team could sign him before the second wave of free agency. To that end, PFSN contributor Kyle Soppe pointed out three landing spots that could make a ton of sense for Cooper at this point in the offseason.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The first team mentioned is the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville had a brutal season in 2024, finishing with a 4-13 record, and now owns the No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. They could add a receiver with that pick, but Cooper makes sense for the team either way.
“The Jacksonville Jaguars cut Evan Engram and Christian Kirk this offseason. Trevor Lawrence is under contract through 2030, and any team that is committed long-term to a quarterback is going to do what they can to make him successful,” Soppe wrote of Jacksonville’s situation.
Jacksonville may want a more valuable pass catcher. However, young star Brian Thomas Jr. could use a veteran voice to lean on. The depth behind Thomas is nothing to write home about, either. Cooper could easily see the field with the Jaguars and potentially rebuild his value in 2025.
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons had an up-and-down season in 2024 that ended without a playoff berth. Toward the end of the season, they benched Kirk Cousins and turned to rookie Michael Penix Jr.
“These older and unsigned receivers are positioning themselves to be more of a coach-on-the-field type than a true difference-maker. Drake London and Darnell Mooney return as Atlanta’s top options in the passing game, but any team looking to develop a young quarterback will take all the help they can get,” Soppe wrote.
London and Penix could certainly rely on Cooper in 2025. The question, of course, is how productive the veteran pass catcher will be on the field. On a short-term deal, this is a very low-risk signing for the Falcons to consider.
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers had a strong 2024 regular season — winning 11 games — but they got the short end of the stick in the best division in football.
Green Bay already has a young core of receivers. Christian Watson could be a star in waiting, but he suffered an injury in the regular-season finale. Soppe mentioned Jayden Reed but believes the Michigan State product may be best used alongside someone who can earn targets.
“Is Cooper still that? Only time will tell, but for a team like the Packers that is in a position to compete for a divisional title, they would be wise to prioritize the upside instead of fearing the downside,” Soppe wrote of Cooper’s potential fit in Green Bay.
That’s a fair point. Green Bay wants to win the division in 2025 and has the talent to do it. However, given their status as a contender, their ability to carry a potentially unproductive player is lower than the Jaguars and Falcons. It’s still a low-risk signing, but the downside may be more of a concern for Green Bay than it is for Atlanta or Jacksonville.