Amari Cooper Odds: Patriots Favorites To Land Cowboys Wide Receiver?
Will New England target Cooper to boost its Mac Jones-led offense?
Could Amari Cooper's potential departure from the Dallas Cowboys open the door for the wide receiver to join the New England Patriots this offseason?
Bovada released odds on which team Cooper will play for to begin the 2022 NFL season, and as of Wednesday night, the Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles were installed as co-favorites at +225.
Interestingly, the Cowboys sit behind the Patriots and Eagles at +240.
This comes on the heels of ESPN's Adam Schefter reporting last week that Dallas is "likely" to release Cooper rather than pay him his $20 million salary that becomes guaranteed March 20. The Cowboys reportedly found no suitors in their attempt to trade Cooper, who's coming off a down season by his standards, and thus it could just be a matter of time before he's cut and becomes a free agent.
Bovada listed odds for four other teams in addition to the Cowboys, Patriots and Eagles: the New York Jets (+500), Detroit Lions (+700), Jacksonville Jaguars (+800) and Cleveland Browns (+1000).
Cooper, who turns 28 in July, began his career with the then-Oakland Raiders after being selected fourth overall in the 2015 NFL Draft. The Cowboys traded a first-round pick for the Alabama product in 2018, and he since has put together a mostly successful tenure in Dallas.
Cooper, a four-time Pro Bowler, has five 1,000-yard seasons on his NFL résumé. He's coming off a 2021 campaign in which he totaled 68 catches for 865 yards with eight touchdowns.
The Patriots definitely could use another weapon as they build around quarterback Mac Jones, and Cooper certainly would qualify as a legitimate No. 1 option in New England's offense. The question, if the Cowboys release Cooper, is whether the Pats would be willing to meet his contractual demands.
All told, it's a fascinating possibility as the Patriots look toward the 2022 season after taking a step forward in 2021. And the odds, while not exactly indicative of New England's interest (or lack thereof), are notable while assessing Amari Cooper's potential market should Dallas move on.
