Cleveland Browns' notable minicamp absence has looming contract questions

Just when the Cleveland Browns finally seemed to have gotten their stuff together, we have a notable absence ahead of mandatory minicamp. The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday morning that wide receiver Amari Cooper is not present in Cleveland. He is in the final year of his five-year, $100 million contract signed with the Dallas Cowboys, and will be subjected to fines. He is a good wide receiver, but has never been an elite one.

The frustrating part about this for me is Cleveland should be strong again this season. While I like the rival Baltimore Ravens to repeat in the AFC North, I would probably have the Browns as my second-place finisher in the strongest division in the league going away. If there are three wild card teams to be had in the AFC, I would feel comfortable saying the Browns will almost certainly be among them.

Cooper, who is now on his third NFL team after starring collegiately at Alabama, has never had staying power at any of his previous posts. The Oakland Raiders moved on from him and the Dallas Cowboys traded him away. For two teams with inherent levels of dysfunction to move on from you by way of a trade, that brings to question this: Is Cooper a contributing factor in all of that mess as well?

He is not a kid anymore, and I wonder if he has a shot at sticking somewhere better than Cleveland.

This might be a referendum on Deshaun Watson as a quarterback. This is not on Kevin Stefanski...

Amari Cooper's absence from Cleveland Browns minicamp is concerning

Cleveland has been a far better operation over the last four years than at any point in my life. The combination of Stefanski and Andrew Berry has brought a level of stability to a team that had no remote clue what that was since being reanimated as a franchise back in 1999. Still, the Browns are more than willing to reveal their true colors at times. How it ended with Baker Mayfield is one of them.

In the two seasons since the Browns cut ties with their former No. 1 overall, it has become abundantly clear that it was a huge mistake. Watson has been a shell of himself, while Mayfield has flourished since arriving in Tampa Bay. Cooper may get along with Watson just fine, but keep in mind that last year's playoff team rallied behind the ageless Joe Flacco, and not the controversial quarterback...

Odds are, Cooper may want to stay with Cleveland because the Browns are looking more and more like a well-run operation with every passing season. Of course, Cooper needs to get paid, and receivers like Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and A.J. Brown have all gotten paid lucrative contracts this year. But it probably will not be for the money Cooper longs for. His days of getting top-dollar contracts are over with and done, considering he's entering his age 30 season. While he could garner a new one, he has to accept his new reality as a role player of sorts.

Cooper may get a new contract, but the Browns don't have the luxury of variance as other teams do.