The Las Vegas Raiders signed veteran wide receiver Amari Cooper, which has left many people wondering if this is a sign that the team will trade fellow wideout Jakobi Meyers. Here's why that's not the case.
Does Amari Cooper signing mean Las Vegas Raiders are trading Jakobi Meyers? originally appeared on The Sporting News
The Las Vegas Raiders have had a busy day at wide receiver, with the team signing one player shortly after another one requested a trade.
The signing was of an old friend, wide receiver Amari Cooper, who is reportedly going to sign a one-year deal with the Raiders. The financial terms of Cooper's contract have yet to be disclosed.
The player requesting a trade is fellow wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, and the reason is the two sides have failed to come to an agreement on a contract extension as he enters the final year of his three-deal deal in 2025.
On the surface, the Cooper signing looks like the Raiders are gearing up to trade Meyers, but there's another logical explanation.
Before the trade for Cooper, the Raiders were slated to start rookie fourth-rounder Dont'e Thornton on the boundary opposite Meyers, and Tre Tucker in the slot, according to the team's depth chart.
The obvious concern there is that the Raiders would have been relying heavily on a rookie for a huge role, and another rookie, Jack Bech, was set to be the primary backup.
Thornton has no doubt shown promise, but that hardly guarantees he's going to be able to step into such a big role immediately.
Long story short: the Raiders needed more help at wide receiver, even with Meyers on the roster. The options were just too shaky behind he and Brock Bowers and an addition at wide receiver was inevitable.
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Category: Football
