There is plenty of optimism surrounding the Oakland Raiders revamped personnel. Needless to say, it has started to rub off on wide receiver Amari Cooper.
Head coach Jon Gruden made it known that Cooper will be featured heavily in the offense going into the 2018 NFL season. According to Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle, Gruden's comments went a long way for the Pro Bowl wideout:
“It was cool,” Cooper said. “Obviously, as a receiver, you want to go out there and make plays for your team to win. So for him to say that, it really meant a lot to me. I’m just ready to come out and work and prove that I deserve to have those opportunities.”
Cooper had quickly established himself as one of the most promising wide receivers in the NFL. The former fourth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft kickstarted his career with back-to-back trips to the Pro Bowl.
However, Oakland endured a disastrous year on the offensive side of the ball and Cooper was perhaps its biggest casualty. He finished the year with just 48 receptions for 680 yards and seven touchdowns. As a result, there has been plenty of speculation regarding whether or not he is capable of being the teams No. 1 wideout.
Fortunately, Gruden has dispelled any notion of him paying second-fiddle to any other player on offense. This is certainly impressive considering the Raiders were able to fortify their receiving corps with bonafide options in Jordy Nelson and Martavis Bryant. Regardless, it is clear that Cooper will still be featured as quarterback Derek Carr's top weapon in the passing game.
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