It was reported that Amari Cooper will most likely be traded or released by the Dallas Cowboys before March 20th. This is the first major news of the 2022 offseason. Amari Cooper is only 27 years old, already has four 1,000 yard seasons, and is a true number one wide receiver. The reaction from many Packers fans will be that Green Bay cannot afford to bring in Cooper. However, here is why they are wrong.
Contract Situation:
If the Cowboys cut Amari Cooper, he would count $6 million against the salary cap, not $22 million for a team that is projected to be more than $21 million over the cap. A trade with Cooper’s contract is, in the words of one source, “not likely.”https://t.co/iOjlcJIrHI https://t.co/NfcC8f9w5H
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 4, 2022
It will be tough for Dallas to find anyone to trade for Amari Cooper. A wide receiver counting for $20 million against the cap is a hard sell for any team. This is why it’s widely believed that Cooper will be cut by March 20th. Cooper being cut automatically creates a demanding market for the wide receiver. He will most likely be the best free agent of the 2022 class. Cooper being able to choose where he wants to play will bode well for Green Bay.
How Green Bay Can Make It Work:
Green Bay will NOT trade for Amari Cooper, that is for certain. Once he hits the open market, however, Green Bay will have as good a case an anyone in the league. The Packers have cut nearly $25 million off their 2022 salary cap in the first two weeks of the offseason. There are presumably still a multitude of moves to come yet. One of the major moves will be Aaron Rodgers’ contract, if he announces he’s returning (which is likely). Green Bay will be able to offer Amari Cooper exactly what they’ve done with Bakhtiari, Jones, and Clark: a large amount of guaranteed money in 2023 and 2024.
This was an easy one for the #Packers and much expected. It will create $9.26M of cap space, putting the #Packers at roughly $29M over the cap. They have cut $23M reworking Clark, Jones and Bakhtiari. More to come. https://t.co/WeedQldXuO
— Tom Silverstein (@TomSilverstein) February 26, 2022
Having $29 million to go, Green Bay could save nearly all of that with two moves. Cutting/restructuring Za’Darius Smith and restructuring Aaron Rodgers. The Packers still have countless moves they could make to get way past that dollar number. Aaron Rodgers, Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Jaire Alexander, Adrian Amos, Randall Cobb, and Billy Turner all account for $9 million or more against the 2022 cap. All seven of those players have yet to have their contracts adjusted for the 2022 season and beyond. Those who say Green Bay can’t afford anyone have not looked at the possibilities at the top end of our 2022 cap hits. Restructuring even half of those players would not only put us under the cap, but would put us in a position to compete for Cooper.
Why Would Amari Cooper Come to Green Bay?
Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams is already one of the teams to beat in the NFC. Adding Amari Cooper to the mix would immediately create the most dangerous WR duo in the NFL, and it wouldn’t be close. Green Bay hosts the Dallas Cowboys in 2022; possibly a revenge game for Cooper? And lastly, playing with Aaron Rodgers alone is reason enough for any wide receiver to be interested in Green Bay. It is no secret that he is usually the number one reason players have for joining the Packers in free agency.
Amari Cooper is NOT out of reach for Green Bay, and he WOULD make this team by far the favorite in the NFC next season,
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