Content available exclusively for subscribers
Why would making this move make any sense
considering what they are trying to build?
We touched on this other day, but some people keep pushing this, so we are going down this road again.
It’s been reported that the Dallas Cowboys are going to release wide receiver Amari Cooper if they can’t trade him.
Cooper’s $20 million salary is guaranteed if he’s on the roster on March 21. The Cowboys have no interest in paying that.
And there is a reason for that, and it’s the reason why the Jets shouldn’t trade for him.
“I think his love of football never really shines through,” said former NFL GM Mike Lombardi on VSIN.
Remember, the Raiders picked him in the first-round of the 2015 draft with the fourth pick overall, but they decided to trade him in 2018 to the Dallas Cowboys. Why?
“One of the reasons the Raiders traded him is they didn’t think he had a great love of the game,” Lombardi said.
Under Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh the Jets are looking for players who love football.
“The love of the game goes beyond what the game is going to give that person – what is that person going to invest in the game from a physical, mental and emotional standpoint,” said Jets senior football advisor Phil Savage. “Obviously some of the best players I have been associated with over the year, I wouldn’t say they would play for free because it is pro football, but it wasn’t the millions that motivated them, it was I want to be the best player on the field at my position.”
So with that being said, why would the Jets want to acquire a player who doesn’t seem to love football.
“I think this is all about Cooper,” Lombardi said. “I think this is all about how he plays, his demeanor, his lack of really loving what he does in football. That is the word I continue to hear about him. He plays for the money.”
Now with all this being said, it’s not like he’s totally unproductive. Last year he had 68 catches and 8 touchdowns. So what is the issue?
“He’s not as productive as he can be at times,” Lombardi said. “He doesn’t take over games that you would think his talent would allow him to take over. That’s the biggest concern. He doesn’t have the competitive fire to take over games.”
It’s just hard to understand why people look at the fact that the Raiders moved on after three years, and the Cowboys a few years after trading a first-round pick, and giving him a five-year, $100 deal, and still think the Jets should acquire him. Both teams made major investments and moved on, so why should the Jets go down the same rabbit hole?
How does that make sense? It doesn’t.
The Jets starting receivers are set to be Elijah Moore and Corey Davis, and they are looking to re-sign Braxton Berrios. They will probably sign a receiver in free agency, and draft one as well.
They don’t need to do this.
Especially since they are looking for players who love football.
March 9, 2022
Premium will return by 9:30 pm on Thursday.