Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper’s holdout has been the talk of the team’s mandatory minicamp session.
After watching numerous athletes cash in on a red-hot wide receiver market, some pundits believe Cooper’s decision was solely due to trying to cash in now before he plays the first snap of the season.
Analyst Jeff Lloyd disagrees, suggesting one of Cooper’s primary reasons is watching how the Browns handled Nick Chubb this offseason.
On the “Locked On Browns” Podcast on Tuesday, Lloyd explained that Chubb’s restructured deal changed his guaranteed money into an incentive-laden contract with a smaller salary.
Cooper – who currently makes $20 million on the final year of his previous five-year contract – could watch his potential eight- or nine-million contract extension morph into a smaller salary with a heavily incentivized deal should he be significantly injured during the 2024 season.
“So Amari Cooper would be in the same boat if – God forbid – something were to happen,” Lloyd said, making a comparison to Chubb’s situation.
Lloyd said Cooper ingratiated himself into Cleveland’s culture, mentioning his appearance this weekend at the David Njoku charity softball game as an example.
The analyst said no one believes Cooper has “ill will” toward the Browns, and Cleveland is in a position to meet the wide receiver’s requests.
Lloyd noted that the Browns could make an offer with guaranteed money this season and a larger amount next season to keep up with the exploding wide receiver contracts over the past year.
The analyst added that Cooper’s run is one of the best in recent history as the athlete has recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
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