According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Cowboys are likely to release wide receiver Amari Cooper. Under his current contract, Cooper will make $20 million this season. He’ll be 28 when next season starts, which is young enough to still be in his prime. Could Cooper be in play for the Bucs this offseason?

If Chris Godwin is retained as expected, the answer is almost certainly no. Cooper’s market is a little bit of a mystery, but there’s not much reason to believe he’ll be well below his current pay scale. The Alabama product followed up two 1,000-yard seasons with an 865-yard game, but caught eight touchdowns. Cooper has missed only five games his whole career, two of which came last season. He’s durable, consistently productive and relatively low maintenance.

With the NFL and NFLPA agreeing to eliminate COVID policies, Cooper’s unvaccinated status won’t matter anymore. He should be healthy and available for whatever team signs him. I’d expect his next contract to be a multi-year deal in the $15-20 million per season range. That’s obviously way more than the Bucs will shell out for a third receiver if Godwin re-signs in Tampa Bay.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

But even if Godwin walks, is Cooper the type of receiver the Bucs covet? While Cooper does have Jason Licht-level size (6-1, 210) and speed (4.42), I’m not sure that he plays like a traditional Bucs receiver. The 4-time Pro Bowler is an explosive route runner who can win downfield, but doesn’t block and plays inside sparingly. He wouldn’t be a natural replacement for Godwin, so his signing would have to be paired with a power slot receiver.

Also, if you’re going to pay Cooper $15-20 million per year, why not just pay Godwin?

It’s hard to imagine a path where Cooper to the Bucs makes sense. Despite coming off a down year, he’s likely going to command significant money on the open market. Some other team is going to be more able and willing to open their checkbook than the Bucs.