11:08pm: Cooper’s one-year deal with the Raiders (which is now official) is worth a $3.5MM base value, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The contract also contains $500K in per-game roster bonuses plus up to another $2MM in incentives. The max value comes in at $6MM.
4:35pm: On a day when one Raiders receiver has asked to be dealt, a former wideout is set to return to the team. Amari Cooper is heading to Vegas. 
This will be a one-year reunion, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. Jakobi Meyers is looking for a trade in the wake of extension talks stalling, so the timing of today’s news is certainly noteworthy. Still, the Raiders were named today as one of the teams in the market for a WR addition, so this move is not entirely surprising.
[RELATED: Raiders Do Not Intend To Honor Meyers’ Trade Request; Teams Interested]
Cooper has not had a strong market for his services this offseason, a reflection of his underwhelming production upon being dealt from the Browns to the Bills midway through last season. The five-time Pro Bowler averaged 37 yards per game with Buffalo down the stretch. The team left the door open to a re-signing, but nothing took place on that front and a lucrative addition was ultimately made in the form of Josh Palmer.
A return to the Cowboys received consideration shortly after the draft, but in the end Dallas worked out a trade for George Pickens. No other suitors emerged over the course of the summer, and with the preseason in the books Cooper will now face a quick ramp-up period ahead of the campaign. He will do so with the franchise he began his career with (albeit in a different city).
A first-round pick of the then-Oakland Raiders, Cooper enjoyed a highly consistent start to his career. He totaled 3,183 yards and 19 touchdowns across 52 games before being dealt to the Cowboys midway through the 2018 season. Cooper went on to top 1,000 yards another four times after that trade, giving Dallas and later Cleveland a dependable WR1. Expectations will be tempered for 2025, but the 31-year-old will give Vegas an experienced starting-caliber option with Myers’ future at least somewhat uncertain.
The receiver-hungry 49ers showed interest in Cooper, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. Instead of heading to San Francisco, though, he will re-join a Raiders team which is much different than when he left.
Very interesting. I thought Vikings or Niners would nab him for a year
Raiders just gonna cycle through WRs until they can bring back Henry Ruggs?
Sucky Chucky Grudork never should have traded Amari for that Cowboy 1st round pick that became Jonathan Abram S who couldn’t cover, make a sound tackle or pronounce the word “Salmon”.
BUT,Jakobi Myers does NOT DROP THE BALL! Love Amari but he is Mr. Dropsies 2015-2018 Raider stint and ever after since.
that first dropped slant over the middle is going to hit like crack!
Shout out the 2017 Raiders!!!!
Lol so true
mmm, clever response by Vegas to get leverage over Meyers. Message delivered.
Doubt it has anything to do with it.
I actually really like Cooper. Its disappointing how it worked out with us, but Im kind if pulling tor him.
Does this mean Jacoby is gone?
@bills1. Could very well mean he’s gone. Someone will offer a 2nd or 3rd.
No one is offering a second or third. He’s probably asking for more than they want to pay a receiver about to hit 30 and who isn’t considered a super dynamic guy but rather an overachiever type. It’s the exact same situation as Washington the last few weeks. They’ll eventually meet in the middle.
He’s considered consistent, which most teams want.
This isn’t fantasy football.
Actually Myers is regarded highly in FF as healthy, consistent players that are dependable matter for real & fantasy team roster building (especially in PPR for Myers types of possesion WR’s).
@realfootballfan. I guess you have forgotten about a team taking a kicker in the first round, a team getting a coach for two first round picks and two 2nds. The Watson trade and Wilson trades and many more. Realistically probably a third since vele got a 4th and he only played one year and is about to turn 28.
I think it’s likely. Jacoby doesn’t really fit with Geno’s strengths as a passer, so I can’t see them giving him a raise. Jacoby surely knows that, too- which is probably why he wants to get paid before his numbers dip.
I just don’t find this remotely possible as nearly every QB enjoys a 6’2” WR who is good for 15 games, 100+ targets, 80+ catches and < 1 drop per season.
Simply a contract squabble that I am confident gets ironed out.
I was told an hour or two ago once a loser I mean raider always a loser I mean raider
Derp derp derpy derp…
No reason not to add him on a cheap deal. He’s like 1 year removed from a 1000 yard season with a bum QB room.
Cooper had arguably the best year of his career in 2023 (1,250 YDS, 17.4 AVG). Last season was first a QB mess in Cleveland and then he never clicked with the Bills.
Bills run Erherdt-Perkins. Tough system for a receiver to pick up on the fly if they’ve never played in it before.
9.3 yards/target with the Bills. That’s plenty good even if he declines.
He had 1400 yards and like ten Tds the year before the train wreck that was Cleveland’s season last year.
He also looked very slow, though. If it were all about the Cleveland situation, teams would have seen that and given him more money earlier.
Didn’t they say he was hurt most of last year? He was always more fast than quick anyway and a good route runner.
More quick than fast. Typo, lol.
Okay Pete & Spytek, get on the phone with Schneider in Seattle over the next 8 weeks before the TD, Riq Woolen for Jakobi Myers so he can reunite with Pete, and Seattle finds out just how DONZO Cooper Kupp’s career is after week 1 & 2 (McVay knows).
The Seahawks didn’t trade DK for a draft pick just so they could move a starting CB for a number 2 WR who is on par with a healthy Kupp (who’s main issue isn’t performance, just that he hasn’t been healthy). They’re better off playing out the season as is than going with Shaquill Griffin and Josh Jobe as their other boundary corners with Witherspoon in the slot.
This might be slight Meyers insurance, but it doesn’t mean he’s gone. They don’t want a receiver corps made up of a bunch of guys who haven’t done anything in the NFL and the backwash of Amari Cooper’s career.
If they can get value in return, I think Meyers is expendable in their eyes. They already have Bech, who is the same type of WR. Plus, Geno likes to go long. In practice, he’s developed a chemistry with Tre Tucker. He’s connected with Thornton Jr., too.
They’ve kept it vanilla on offense in the preseason, but my guess is the plan will be to go run heavy, take some shots deep and funnel most of the rest through Bowers. Assuming they don’t want Bech to just sit the bench, I don’t know that Meyers will see a lot of targets.
The other thing is Meyers has also seen the full game plan, and I don’t think the timing of any of this is coincidence. From the Raiders side, they also now have a veteran in the receiver room with experience.
That’s putting an awful lot on rookies, especially when one of them is an athletic projection who only had 65 catches in all of college.
Outlaw has some solid points. DTJ seems to be the steal of their draft and Bech is the guy they’re relying on. If Jakobi stays, adding Cooper is a plus. If Jakobi truly leaves, adding Cooper is a plus. I really can’t see Meyers being traded from the Raiders standpoint.
Let’s be real, this offense runs through Bowers, who is going to the Hall of Fame next year if they cover him 1 on 1 all season. He’s going to soften the blow for those young guys and even Cooper/Meyers. They might also run the ball here and there with Jeanty.
Makes sense for them independent of what is going on with Meyers. Their receiver room is super young.
We will see if the offensive line can make these pieces go for Geno …
I liked him the first go round for the most part. Definitely has/had drop issues. Overall I get these moves for the Raiders. Don’t like trading for Pickett, but he IS an upgrade to this QB room, even if just in experience. Cooper can soften the blow of Jakobi or at least adds another veteran presence in a young WR group. Adding Cooper doesn’t hurt anything, though I’m not expecting monster numbers. Or I’m completely wrong.
@blacksundayz. Hooker for nothing would’ve been about the same as Pickett. It seems like he isn’t grasping the offense but he has the same style as geno, and almost the same trajectory as geno did maybe Carroll could wake him up. As far as Pickett he hasn’t lasted a season with anyone.
I would have rather have Hooker as well, but either is an upgrade in the QB room. Regardless, Geno goes down they’re toast anyway.