Amari Cooper had a tough 2017 season, finishing with only 48 catches for 680 yards and seven touchdowns. The Raiders wide receiver dropped five passes, according to STATS, tying for ninth most in the league.
Derek Carr recently said Cooper played “on one foot” last season, and the receiver injured his left ankle and was diagnosed with a concussion in a Week 13 game against the Broncos.
New coach Jon Gruden has big plans for the former first-round draft pick.
“Oh, we think Cooper is going to be a great player,” Gruden said from the NFL Scouting Combine. “We think Amari is not only a great prospect, a great player, he’s a great person. He had a lot of injuries last year and that impacted him, but he’ll be the focal point of our pass offense. I hope he’s listening here today. I look forward to joining up with Amari Cooper. He’s got tremendous quickness. I think he’s smart. He’s versatile. He’s a gamer. He likes the bright lights. He’ll be the headliner in our offense.”
Cooper surpassed 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, so the Raiders have faith he can return to form in 2018.