Broncos Urged to Sign Wide Receiver Amari Cooper originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Multiple areas of the Denver Broncos’ offense have received facelifts this offseason after 2024 saw the team make the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade.

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First, the Broncos’ tight end room got a significant boost in the form of former Jacksonville Jaguars pass-catcher Evan Engram, who inked a two-year deal worth $23 million on March 13. The franchise then bolstered its running back room by taking RJ Harvey with the No. 60 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and signing J.K. Dobbins as a free agent in June.

The makeup of the Broncos’ wide receiver room, though, has remained stagnant for the most part, outside of using a third-round draft pick on Pat Bryant. That’s why ClutchPoints’ Douglas Fritz suggests that, if the team makes any more moves ahead of the regular season, it should be at the wideout position.

Fritz specifically believes the Broncos should sign Amari Cooper, who remains a free agent after playing for both the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills in 2024.

“Yes, we’ve seen the dropoff. Cooper turned in a poor performance in 2024, totaling only 44 catches for 547 yards and four scores. His stats were almost evenly split between the Browns and the Bills, so it can’t all be based on poor quarterback play for the Browns,” Fritz wrote. “However, Cooper reportedly played through injuries in 2024. If he’s healthier this year, he could provide a spark for the right team. And the Broncos seem to be a good fit.”

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) looks to pass in the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High.© Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Fritz – who also believes Cooper could be a good fit for the New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers – cited an article written by Pro Football Focus’ Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman that highlighted the Broncos’ need for strong wide receiver play this upcoming season as rationale for the former Alabama star’s potential signing.

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“While the Broncos gave quarterback Bo Nix the highest-graded pass-blocking unit in football (83.5), they didn’t provide ample skill-position weapons,” Chadwick and Wasserman wrote. “The Broncos earned the fifth-worst PFF receiving grade… in 2024.”

Heading into 2025, the Broncos’ wide receiver room will be headlined by Pro Bowler Courtland Sutton, Devaughn Vale, Marvin Mims Jr., and Troy Franklin.

Cooper himself is a five-time Pro Bowler who, in addition to his time with the Browns and Bills, has previously played for the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders and Dallas Cowboys over the course of his 10-year NFL career. He has collected 10,033 yards and 64 touchdowns on 711 catches in 154 professional appearances.

Related: Broncos Get Positive News on Pat Surtain II’s Contract

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.

The offseason is likely going to be stale throughout the upcoming summer months, but there are still moves that remain to be made. Several high-profile players are hoping for trades to be made, while big name free agents remain available to sign.

Speaking on the latter, there are several available players who are still looking for work.

Many of those players play wide receiver, including Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen, and Gabe Davis. And while it does feel like it’s only a matter of time before they sign somewhere, it’s anything but clear where the roads may take them next.

Arizona Cardinals Urged to Sign Pro Bowl WR Amari Cooper

ESPN’s Aaron Schatz is proposing that one of those receivers take his talents to Arizona.

In an article proclaiming one move every team should make before the season starts, Schatz says the Arizona Cardinals should sign Cooper and make him the team’s starting slot receiver.

Schatz had this to say to defend his stance:

“The Cardinals have a strong set of young wide receivers with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson, but the depth past that is questionable. Greg Dortch is a useful slot receiver, yet he’s not an outside starter if Harrison or Wilson go down. Zay Jones has wrestled with injuries for two seasons and caught only eight passes for 84 yards in 2024.”

Something that I have brought up before in terms of needs for the Cardinals wide receiver room is speed and someone to lineup inside. I am higher on Jones than most, and Dortch has a massive fanclub of his own. But neither have proven to be consistent/reliable options for the team thus far.

And so, Schatz proposes bringing in the five-time Pro Bowler. Schatz had this to note on bringing in Cooper.

“The Cardinals could use a veteran who can come in for Harrison and Wilson when both need to rest or if either of them is injured. The best outside receiver still on the market is Cooper… at this point in his career, it wouldn’t cost much to take a chance that Cooper can rebound and provide some value.”

I am intrigued by the possibility to have Cooper available as a reliable backup option, however, I have always said and will continue to say that you cannot assume injuries. Neither Harrison nor Wilson have indicated any signs of injuries or future concerns. I personally will check that portion of the argument off.

There is a great point to be made here, and that’s that Cooper can still be an outside receiver. One of the things that he has thrived off of in 10 seasons is the ability to play both inside and outside and make plays. With the Cardinals, he can play the slot with Harrison and Wilson on the field. When those two need to be substituted, Cooper can simply move outside to keep everything running smoothly.

The last point I want to touch on is his potential cost — especially at this point in the offseason. With as long as Cooper has been waiting to sign, he can’t demand major money, and for the right price he could be a perfect budget option.

Overall, this wouldn’t be a half bad signing. Cooper certainly fills the need for receiver depth while also providing a veteran presence in a young room. The ability to play inside is the main selling point here for me.

I would hold off on this move for now, but it’s not a bad idea to put in your back pocket if you’re the Cardinals.

Latest Arizona Cardinals News

The Arizona Cardinals are aiming to build upon a solid 2024-25 campaign. They were very close to making the playoffs and had some great stretches during the season. In a competitive NFC West, the Cardinals have a team worthy of winning the division. The Los Angeles Rams are the early favorite, but the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers have yet to prove that they are the top dogs.

Marvin Harrison Jr. had a good rookie season, but he was unable to have more than just a handful of breakout moments. He was the first receiver drafted last offseason; however, Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., Ladd McConkey, and Brock Bowers all had much better seasons from a pass-catching standpoint. It is not easy coming in as a rookie receiver and being the immediate No. 1. Harrison Jr. had a ton of expectations, and after getting bigger and stronger this past offseason, we could see him take the league by storm.

ESPN has proposed that the Cardinals add one more weapon for Kyler Murray and one who can take some of the load off of Harrison’s shoulders. 5-time Pro Bowler Amari Cooper is a free agent who doesn’t have many years left in him, but he is more than capable of another 500+ yard-5 touchdown season. Cooper and the Cardinals have been a fit all offseason.

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Here is what ESPN’s Aaron Schatz on what Arizona should do as the training camp approaches.

“The Cardinals have a strong set of young wide receivers with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson, but the depth past that is questionable. Greg Dortch is a useful slot receiver, yet he’s not an outside starter if Harrison or Wilson go down. Zay Jones has wrestled with injuries for two seasons and caught only eight passes for 84 yards in 2024. Simi Fehoko has 10 career catches at the age of 28.”

“The Cardinals could use a veteran who can come in for Harrison and Wilson when both need to rest or if either of them is injured. The best outside receiver still on the market is Cooper, who spent last season with Cleveland and Buffalo. He did not have a good showing in 2024; he was poor in ESPN’s receiver tracking metrics and finished 80th in receiving DVOA. But at this point in his career, it wouldn’t cost much to take a chance that Cooper could rebound and provide some value.”

The Dallas Cowboys have two of the best wide receivers in the NFL, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.

Pickens just came over from the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, and now he and Lamb are looking to be one of the best receiving duos in the league.

Before Lamb was paired with Pickens, he played alongside veteran receiver Amari Cooper for two seasons before Cooper was traded to the Cleveland Browns in the spring of 2022.

Cooper played in Dallas for four years and recorded 3,893 yards and 27 scores.

Cooper is now a free agent after spending the second half of last season with the Buffalo Bills, and Kristopher Knox from Bleacher Report thinks the Arizona Cardinals could be a good fit for Cooper.

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“Whether the Cardinals eye the trade market or consider free agents like Amari Cooper and Gabe Davis, they should find a way to add competition before camp, Knox wrote.”

The Cardinals should consider adding Cooper and bringing him onto a team that is looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

It can’t hurt to bring Cooper in for training camp and see what he has left. If he doesn’t appear to be able to contribute anything to the table, then the team can let him go.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are considering options at wide receiver. After trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys this offseason, the team has found themselves with another need for a possible starter. Whoever arrives will likely compete with Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson, which makes the list of potential candidates a little longer. One NFL analyst believes it should include a former Super Bowl champion.

The Steelers have two options they’d like to consider for their WR2 role in Austin and Wilson. That being said, reports are already floating around that they’ve made calls to teams about potential trade options.

CBS Sports analyst Cody Benjamin believes they should look at free agency instead. And he suggests three-time Pro Bowler Odell Beckham Jr. should be who they call.

“The Steelers have DK Metcalf as a legitimate No. 1 wideout for Rodgers, but all indications are they’re still exploring additional weaponry after dealing George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys,” Benjamin wrote. “Beckham may not be the standout he once was, but he’s also been on Rodgers’ radar for years; the Green Bay Packers reportedly tried to land Beckham to pair with A-Rod during the 2021 season, and Rodgers admitted later that he had interest in Beckham following him to the Jets ahead of the 2022 campaign. On a one-year deal, why not make the dream pairing happen now?

The Steelers haven’t shown much interest in older veterans like Beckham Jr., Keenan Allen or Amari Cooper. It doesn’t mean they’re ruled out, but that there’s been no indication they have interest.

Beckham Jr. has spent time in two others AFC North teams, playing for the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. He’s also won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams, started his career with the New York Giants, and most recently played for the Miami Dolphins.

If Beckham Jr. could emerge as a reliable WR3 for the Steelers, he may fit a need as they make Wilson or Austin WR2. However, there’s a more than likely chance Pittsburgh looks at younger options before going toward Beckham Jr.