Will this five-time Pro Bowl WR land with Broncos in free agency?

Don't be surprised if the Denver Broncos add a veteran to their receiving corps when free agency starts on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.

In his free-agent predictions published Thursday, The Athletic's Mike Jones had the Broncos signing wide receiver Amari Cooper.

"The Broncos badly want a veteran wide receiver to pair with second-year pro [QB] Bo Nix." Jones wrote. "With the Bengals taking Tee Higgins off the free-agent market by using the franchise tag on him for a second straight offseason, Cooper is among the best options available. The 30-year-old never seemed to fully settle in with Buffalo after a midseason trade, but he should fit well with [head coach] Sean Payton's offense." 

The Browns dealt Cooper to the Bills in October 2024. In 14 regular-season games with both clubs, he finished with a career-low 44 receptions for 547 yards and four touchdown catches. 

Cooper, however, has made five Pro Bowls in 10 seasons with the Raiders, Cowboys, Browns and Bills. An offensive mastermind in Payton could help him recapture his elite form. 

Nix tossed the league's sixth-most TD passes (29 in 17 starts) in 2024, but he could still use more reliable weapons. Per Pro Football Reference, the Broncos had the league's sixth-most drops (32) in 2024.

Cooper's market value is a two-year deal worth $14.2M annually. That price doesn't seem too steep for the Broncos, even though they're still on the hook for $32M of former starting QB Russell Wilson's $85M cap hit in 2025. Spotrac's salary cap tracker estimates the Broncos have $40.99M in cap space this offseason.

Pursuing Cooper doesn't seem like a terrible idea for the Broncos. It could help the club improve the roster, ensuring it stays on an upward trajectory. Last season, Denver went 10-7 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2015.