Alabama Football: Amari Cooper and Mac Jones pairing could benefit Pats

Before DeVonta Smith’s fourth Alabama Football season, Amari Cooper owned the most Crimson Tide receiving records. Smitty passed all of Cooper’s records, except one. Cooper is still the Crimson Tide single-season record holder for receptions with 124 catches in 2014.

Taking nothing away from the Crimson Tide’s Heisman winner, but he had four seasons to build many of his Alabama records. Amari Cooper was only in Crimson and White for three seasons.

Amari Cooper will likely be playing for his third NFL team next season. His seven-year NFL career has been split almost equally between the Oakland Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas signed him to a $100M deal in 2020 in which he will earn $20M next season. The Cowboys can’t afford that cost and according to background sources, the ‘Boys’ are not convinced Cooper’s 68 receptions last season warrant that much money.

Cooper’s 2021 season numbers need some closer scrutiny. The 68 catches put him at No. 30 among last season’s NFL wide receivers. The number is misleading. The top ten guys in receptions were targeted an average of 157 times last season. The next 19 receivers, ahead of Cooper in receptions, were given an average of 125 targets. Amari was thrown to 104 times. In addition, only five NFL wideouts had a higher percentage of their catches resulting in a first down.

Looking at Cooper’s stats, it is obvious that Dallas needs to address the financial impact of his contract – but not because he cannot produce.

In the past, Amari has said he wants to retire as a Cowboy. Being able to stay in Dallas would mean a hefty pay cut. The Cowboys might work a trade deal, but most teams will be patient, believing they can get him after he is released and save money.

Either way an Alabama Football QB for Amari

On Tuesday, Jerry Thornton discussed that Cooper would be a perfect pairing for the Patriots and Mac Jones. It is hard to find fault with that claim. Getting the young QB a four-time Pro Bowl wideout makes great sense. Cooper might get more money from the Miami Dolphins, but the Patriots might offer Amari more on-field success in 2022.

There had been considerable speculation the Patriots would trade for Calvin Ridley. That will not happen for the 2022 season due to Ridley’s suspension for gambling. Many voices in Boston and elsewhere are suddenly saying Cooper is exactly what the Pats need.

Note: Stats in this post from NFL.com

Either New England or Miami, Amari would be catching NFL passes from a former Alabama football quarterback. Whatever teams, Tide fans support, the prospect of Cooper pairing up with Tua Tagovailoa or Mac Jones is exciting.