Miami Dolphins: Adding Amari Cooper makes sense
By Pablo Rosero
With the Cowboys expected to release Amari Cooper, the Miami Dolphins should make a run at signing the former first round pick and South Florida native.
The rich football history of South Florida covers all levels. From the Dolphins’ winning ways in the 70s, to the Hurricanes multiple national championship runs, to the great high school and pop warner scene, South Florida has no shortage of history in the game.
Amari Cooper is already apart of that history. The, soon-to-be former, Cowboys wide receiver played his high school ball at Miami North Western, one of the top programs in all of high school football.
He would go on to spurn the Hurricanes in favor of Nick Saban and Alabama, but it’s tough to blame him for that.
Now, there is a chance to bring him back to South Florida to continue to add to his own legacy in the area. This time it would be at the highest level with the Miami Dolphins.
With rumors suggesting that Cooper’s days with the Cowboys seemingly over, he could be in play for the Dolphins, who are in desperate need of another wideout alongside Jaylen Waddle. Cooper, who has dealt with injuries in his career, was seen as the odd man out in Dallas due to his contract. The team seems to favor Michael Gallup, who is scheduled to hit free agency, over him.
Targeting Cooper would give the Dolphins a dynamic playmaker who excels at getting open. The red flags are, however, that he would need to stay healthy and prove he’s worth the value he will likely target heading into his age 28 season.
The Dolphins already have an injury prone wide receiver in DeVante Parker, so you’d have to imagine they’d need to have a high value on Cooper to make the switch. Targeting Cooper would also likely mean the team will cut ties with Parker, although it was rumored the team was testing Parker’s market at the Senior Bowl.
No one knows what version of Cooper we will see in 2022. But for a team that seemed to have only had one wide receiver play at a consistently high level all season, why not take a chance on a player who has put up big numbers in his career?
If you watched the San Francisco 49ers last season, the offense was at its best when both Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk were producing. If you give Mike McDaniel two solid wideouts in Waddle and Cooper, he should be able to maximize both their production and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s in the process.
Coming home is never a bad idea, it gives you a chance to be surrounded by family and those who support you. For Amari Cooper, a new opportunity in a familiar place could bring back his glory days.