Raiders a good fit to reunite with former fourth overall pick

The Las Vegas Raiders have done a fair amount of work revamping the offense this offseason.

Geno Smith is a tremendous upgrade at quarterback, but the Raiders knew he needed weapons to throw to. Tight end Brock Bowers and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers are an excellent starting point, but they needed to add depth behind those two. That mentality led to them tripling down in April’s draft, selecting Jack Bech, Dont’e Thornton Jr. and Tommy Mellott at various points.

While the youth movement is a positive sign, the Raiders could choose to reunite with a familiar face if they wish to add a strong veteran presence to their lineup.

One of the best free agents remaining on the market could be up to return to Las Vegas.

When discussing where the top free agent receivers on the market could end up, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin listed the Raiders as a good fit to sign Amari Cooper to a deal.

“The one area that could still use veteran help is wide receiver, and Cooper knows the franchise well, beginning his career with the Raiders and briefly working alongside current quarterbacks coach Greg Olson. If they’re serious about competing immediately under new head man Pete Carroll, it makes sense they’d use some of their excess salary cap space on a pass target,” Benjamin wrote.

Cooper was selected fourth overall by the Raiders in 2014 out of the University of Alabama, and his playmaking abilities were put on full display.

In his three full seasons with the Raiders, Cooper recorded two 1,000-yard campaigns and went to two Pro Bowls. However, he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys at the 2018 trade deadline and has bounced around the league since then. He is coming off the roughest season of his career in 2024, recording career lows across the board with 44 catches, 547 yards and four touchdowns with the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills.

While that could be a sign of decline, the Raiders could find an interesting buy-low opportunity here.

Currently, the Raiders are sitting on $31 million of cap space, so they are certainly not finished adding pieces to their roster. By adding Cooper, the Raiders alleviate the pressure on their rookies to perform right away while keeping attention away from Bowers and Meyers.

The path to a bounce-back season for Cooper is open in Las Vegas if he is receptive to the idea of returning to where it all began.