Cowboys' Amari Cooper wants 'the gravy' in 2021, 'feels good' as he works to return from offseason surgery

The four-time Pro Bowler predicts he'll be even more explosive -- once he's healed

While the Dallas Cowboys monitor the strained throwing shoulder on two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott, they're also keeping a close eye on one of his top weapons: Amari Cooper. The four-time Pro Bowl wideout is currently recovering from an offseason procedure on his ankle in January that was labeled a cleanup procedure, and nothing more, having started this year's training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list as he gets back to form. DeMarcus Lawrence, the other headliner on that list, was activated on Tuesday but Cooper still has work to do -- although he hints at being very close to a return in August.

"Yeah, I feel good," Cooper said on Tuesday. "Rehab process has been longer than expected -- pretty long actually. I haven't really ran routes in a long time, but right now I feel real good." 

Well, it's not entirely true that he's not run a single route, because he has (just not all of them).

"I've [run] a slant," he clarified. "Yeah, I can run a slant easy. I could run a slant in my sleep, but those breaking down routes. 

"I can run them now. I've ran some with the trainer [Britt Brown], like, real routes. But cutting drills, if you want to consider that a route. It's like a route, but not really."

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Jerry Jones projects Cooper could return not long after the preseason battle on Aug. 13 with the Arizona Cardinals, and sources tell CBS Sports there have been no setbacks to this point that would indicate a timeline much different from the one set forth by the Cowboys owner. This gives Cooper plenty of time to get up to game speed ahead of the season opener against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 9 and much like the targeted return for Prescott and Lawrence -- in a game capacity -- the calendar is circled for an attempt to have Cooper on the field when the Houston Texans stroll into AT&T Stadium on Aug. 21.

That game is being treated as the traditional dress rehearsal for the Cowboys, but while they want Cooper suiting up for that one, they're not going to push the issue with the regular season right around the corner. He's only missed one regular season start in the past two seasons combined, and doesn't believe Week 1 will be his second. And as things continue to progress well with Cooper's recovery, he's also shed pounds to help not only stave off the injury bug, but to also set himself up to become more explosive than he's potentially ever been. 

Usually operating at around 225 pounds, the 27-year-old is currently down to 215 with a goal of entering the season at 210 pounds.

"For the past three seasons, I've been about 225, said Cooper. "I came in about 212 in the league. ... I was accustomed to being small already -- not small, but the smaller, quicker, fast receiver. I wanted to be that guy who was big with all of those qualities: big, strong, fast. 

"I did it, and it was cool, but I didn't notice a difference in terms of like if it was harder to tackle me or whatever. I was playing the same at the line of scrimmage. Guys didn't really touch me. So, I didn't feel like I needed to be that big anymore."

Pause for absorption here.

What you're is hearing Cooper, arguably the best route-runner in football, set a goal to be quicker and faster after just polished off his fifth 1,000-yard season that included a career-high 92 receptions reeled in from a total of four different quarterbacks. With Prescott's ankle at full strength (if not stronger) and Cooper dropping a few pounds to be even more dynamic than he's been in his impressive career, will opposing defenses be able to get hands on him at all in 2021?

"It's going to be like you might not even be able to see me run," he said. "... "I'm taking it real serious. I want this to be the best season I've ever had playing football. You can't just say those things. You can, but if you're going to say it, you better back it up, and that's what I'm going to do."

That's one spicy meatball, but before the Cowboys can enjoy ingesting it in training camp, it has to finish cooking.

"I'm close to 100 percent," said Cooper. "I wouldn't say I'm quite 100% yet, to be completely candid, but I'm real close. I could do everything, maybe a little better, just because I've been rehabbing so hard. Just trying to be the best Amari Cooper that I can be, trying to be better than I've ever been. 

"I've been talking to myself a lot lately about how I want this year to be different than any year that I've played football. The way I look at it is: 1,000 yards? That's OK, but anything after that is like the gravy. 

"I want the gravy."