Philadelphia Eagles trade deadline primer: Wideout edition

Amari Cooper (Oakland Raiders)

In the same report that mentioned Jon Gruden shopping safety Karl Joseph, wide receiver Amari Cooper’s name popped up. You may remember Cooper from his days reeling in catches for Nick Saban’s powerhouse in Alabama. His production transferred over to the NFL with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, his first two in the league.

Since then, Cooper has hit somewhat of a wall. His numbers dipped last season. His targets, receptions, and yards fell significantly though he set a career high in touchdowns. He suffered an ankle injury as well as concussion issues towards the end of the season and battled injuries throughout the season unbeknownst to Raider Nation.

The decline continues this season for Cooper, who is on track to set career lows in all of the aforementioned categories. He’s faced issues with drops and has one of the least reliable gunslingers hurling passes.

Gruden’s outdated approach to coaching has involved avoiding their top receiver at all costs. Cooper had two monstrous performances this season, and each one was followed up with less than five targets. Now Jonny Boy is looking for someone to take the former fourth overall pick off of his hands.

Howie Roseman’s arms should be wide open, and he should be willing to clean up Gruden’s mess. At only 24 years old, Cooper would be more than just a temporary fix for this Eagles offense. A pair of dynamic duo’s in Ertz/Goedert and Alshon Jeffery/Cooper allows Wentz to trade in his Subaru for a Ferrari. I’d take any of those players as my number one option any day, and the decision as to who is the “fourth option” may be more difficult than choosing the best.