Browns Cooper feels at home in ‘slower-paced’ Cleveland
CLEVELAND — Amari Cooper, a fourtime Pro Bowl selection, believes he has still more to offer, not only as a leader but also as a wide receiver. He has yet to evolve into the best version of himself on the field.
“I look forward to doing that here,” he said. “I think the opportunity here is great.”
Heading into his eighth season in the NFL, Cooper, who turned 28 on Friday, is the most experienced player in Cleveland's wide receiving corps.
“These guys look at me like an old guy,” he quipped.
Cooper is the first to admit he has a no-nonsense approach to football. Anthony Schwartz, a third-round pick last year, recently dropped a hint about the tone Cooper has established in the receivers' meeting room, explaining the respected veteran “sets that standard” and “we have to shut up and get our work done.”
This offseason, Tyreek Hill (Miami Dolphins), Davante Adams (Las Vegas Raiders), Cooper Kupp (Los Angeles Rams), A.J. Brown (Philadelphia Eagles), Stefon Diggs (Buffalo Bills) and D.J. Moore (Carolina Panthers) secured new deals by either switching teams or agreeing to contract extensions. They are among the eight WRS who have a higher average annual salary than Cooper's $20 million, according to spotrac.com.
Cooper, who is under contract through the 2024 season, doesn't seem too concerned.
“I don't really feel the need to compare myself to other receivers because I feel like everything a receiver should embody, I think that I can do,” Cooper said. “I can high point the ball. I can run great routes. I can create separation. I can win at the line of scrimmage. I can win at the top of a route. Everything that you need a wide receiver to do, I can do it.”
And he's happy to be doing it in Northeast Ohio, an area he feels suits his personality well.
“It's definitely slower-paced than the place that I'm from, which is Miami,” he said. “It kind of reminds me of coming out of Miami as a 17-year-old going to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Everything was just a little bit slower, and all I had to do was focus on football, which is all I wanted to do.
“I didn't put an emphasis on having fun in college. Although I did have fun, that wasn't what I was there for, and that's not what I'm here for. You know what I'm saying? I'm here to be a great player. I still want to accomplish a lot of things, and I feel like I can do that here.”