ARLINGTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 20: Amari Cooper #19 of the Dallas Cowboys makes a pass reception against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second half at AT&T Stadium on October 20, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Amari Cooper seems like a lock to stay with the Dallas Cowboys, but the Denver Broncos are poised to poach him if he hits the market.
Between his own desire to stay, having plenty of cap space and the ability to use the franchise tag if it comes to that, it feels like a foregone conclusion Amari Cooper will be back with the Dallas Cowboys. But according to Troy Renck of Channel 7 in Denver, the Broncos are expected to pursue Cooper if he hits the open market.
Cooper is the clearly the top free agent wide receiver this year, with a step down to A.J. Green (who is expected to be franchise tagged) and a bigger step down to Emmanuel Sanders and Robby Anderson. So if he does hit the market, somehow, there will be plenty of suitors for Cooper.
The Broncos seem to have found their quarterback, as Drew Lock showed promise when he took over late last season as a rookie. Courtland Sutton had a breakout season in 2019, with 72 receptions for 1,112 yards and six touchdowns, but the drop-off at wide receiver is steep after him and he may be best-suited to be a No. 2 guy.
According to Over The Cap the Broncos have $57.4 million in cap space right now, and Renck noted that could rise to as much as $75 million when accounting for rolling over unused money from last year. So money will be no object if Denver has the opportunity to make an offer to Cooper, and a hypothetical five-year, $95 million deal will not prevent further moves.
Talks between the Cowboys and Cooper have apparently heated up, and it would be surprising if the two sides don’t stay together long-term. Dallas has as much cap space ($75.9 million, per Over The Cap) as Denver could in a best-case scenario, so they simply don’t have to be outbid by the Broncos or anyone.
But other teams are surely ready to pounce if Cooper is not tagged or locked up with a multi-year deal. The Broncos are now a surprising addition to that list.