George Pickens is no longer an option for the Las Vegas Raiders after the Pittsburgh Steelers dealt him to the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday morning. Which means already limited options got even thinner. The only respectable answer left? Run it back with Amari Cooper.
The Raiders traded Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys for a first-round pick in the fall of 2018. Cooper went on to be a premier receiver for the Cowboys before continuing his success in Cleveland. Now that he’s a free agent, he could be the only player who could save Geno Smith and the Raiders offense.
The options are few and far between, but Cooper has shown that he can still be productive. The Browns traded him in the early part of the 2024 season and the Buffalo Bills found a use for him, but he quickly fell down the depth chart. In Las Vegas, he’d reprise his No. 1 target role.
If nothing more, he’s a solid veteran who can help a young receiver room and give Smith a comfortable target to go to. The Raiders are trying to piece together a competitive enough squad in a loaded division. Adding Cooper could get them one step closer to being a more complete team.
The Raiders have to consider bringing veteran Amari Cooper back
The last time Cooper suited up for the Raiders, they had a top 10 offense. I know quite a few things have changed since then, including the Kansas City Chiefs fielding two future Hall of Famers and winning three Super Bowls.
That said, the Raiders can retool this offense to be serviceable with Cooper as the primary target. Brock Bowers’ phenomenal rookie season is proof that they have some pieces to build around. They also added Ashton Jeanty in the draft.
The Raiders’ front office realized they needed to make moves, but they’re still a few pieces away. Smith proved he’s a decent quarterback, but he’s had a primary target since the Seattle Seahawks turned to him full-time.
He doesn’t have that yet in Las Vegas, which is why it has to turn to Cooper with Pickens no longer an option. Cooper won’t be a hero, per se. But he could be enough of a security blanket to keep Smith and this offense afloat.