Jon Gruden said at the NFL Scouting Combine in February that he wants Amari Cooper to be the “focal point” of the Raiders’ passing game. The fourth-year receiver wants to be just that.
“It was cool,” Cooper said, via Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle. “Obviously, as a receiver, you want to go out there and make plays for your team to win. So for him to say that, it really meant a lot to me. I’m just ready to come out and work and prove that I deserve to have those opportunities.”
Cooper left Tuesday’s practice early with what coach Jon Gruden called a “twing” in his hamstring. Injuries (and drops) hurt him last season when he caught only 48 passes for 680 yards.
“He’s got to stay healthy, number one,” Gruden said Tuesday. “We’ve got to do a lot of things better for him to be better, but number one I think is health.”
Cooper caught 72 passes for 1,070 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie and 83 passes for 1,153 yards and five touchdowns in 2016. He made the Pro Bowl both seasons.
He hopes to be that version of himself again this season.