Cooper (abdomen) is participating in Wednesday's OTA session, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Cooper is taking part in on-field drills for the first time since undergoing core muscle surgery in February, but the receiver did not participate in 7-on-7 work. Browns head coach Stefanski also said that the soon-to-be 29-year-old receiver is on track to be at full strength by the start of training camp, per Matt Fontana of 850 ESPN Cleveland. A full offseason to build chemistry with quarterback Deshaun Watson could help Cooper take another step forward heading into his second year in Cleveland's scheme, in which he once again projects to act as the No. 1 target.
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Browns' Amari Cooper: May practice this week
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Coach Kevin Stefanski said Tuesday that Cooper (abdomen) will "start doing stuff this week" after not practicing last week, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Cooper had core muscle surgery in February and should be back at full strength for training camp, if he isn't already. The Browns have no reason to rush him for spring practices a couple weeks before his 29th birthday, as this is his second season in Stefanski's offense after a successful Year 1. One cause for concern is that Cooper had better numbers in Jacoby Brissett's 11 starts (8.5 targets and 72 yards per game, seven TDs) than in Deshaun Watson's six games (6.5 targets, 61 YPG, two TDs), though most of the difference was just due to Cleveland passing less late in the year. It's also possible the targets will be spread out more this season after the Browns retained last year's skill-position starters and also added WRs Elijah Moore, Cedric Tillman and Marquise Goodwin and TE Jordan Akins. Of course, Cooper is still a clear favorite to lead the team in targets, and they'll be of a higher quality this year if Watson regains his pre-suspension form.
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Browns' Amari Cooper: Working off to side at OTAs
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Cooper (abdomen) hasn't been practicing at OTAs this week, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Cooper had core muscle surgery back in February, and the procedure typically entails a recovery timeline of 6-to-8 weeks. While Cooper was in attendance for Wednesday's team workout, he was working off to the side with the training staff. There's no reason for the Browns to rush the 28-year-old wideout on the field ahead of training camp, and he should be back to 100 percent in time for padded practices.
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Browns' Amari Cooper: Recovering from offseason surgery
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Cooper underwent core muscle surgery in February, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
The procedure has an estimated recovery period of eight weeks, which should allow Cooper to participate in spring practices. He said he's almost completed his recovery, though he did miss out on private offseason workouts with Deshaun Watson and other receivers. Cooper also mentioned that the core muscle injury bothered him a lot toward the end of last season, even as he played all 17 games and caught 78 passes for 1,160 yards and nine touchdowns.
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Browns' Amari Cooper: Closes season with two catches
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Cooper recorded two receptions on three targets for 51 yards in Sunday's 28-14 loss to Pittsburgh.
Cooper was an afterthought in the Cleveland offense, out-targeted by the likes of both David Njoku and Donovan Peoples-Jones. He still recorded a par of chunk gains, highlighted by a 36-yard catch early in the fourth quarter. Cooper closed his first season in Cleveland just short of his career-high yardage total with 1,160, and he also chipped in nine touchdowns. While those are solid numbers, he could be in for a bigger 2023 campaign due to the benefit of playing with Deshaun Watson for all 17 games.
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Browns' Amari Cooper: Cleared for Week 18
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Cooper (rest/hip) doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Steelers after logging limited practices Thursday and Friday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Cooper continues to have his practice reps managed as the Browns' 2022 campaign winds down, but the team's top wideout will be available for Week 18 action. In this past Sunday's 24-10 win over the Commanders, Cooper recorded a 61 percent snap share and caught three passes on four targets for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
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Browns' Amari Cooper: Practices in limited fashion
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Cooper (hip/rest) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Even though Cooper's practice reps have been managed to some degree over the past month, his most recent absences or limitations have also been attributed to "rest." The way that Cooper has been listed on injury reports suggests the Browns aren't overly concerned with the hip issue, and the wideout shouldn't face many restrictions in the likely event he's cleared to play in Sunday's season finale in Pittsburgh. The 7-9 Browns aren't in contention for a playoff spot, but the opportunity to play spoiler to a division rival with postseason ambitions in addition to giving the receiver one final chance to build rapport with quarterback Deshaun Watson heading into the 2023 season should be reason enough for head coach Kevin Stefanski to hand Cooper something close to a normal snap count Sunday.
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Browns' Amari Cooper: Rested for first practice of week
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Cooper (hip/rest) was held out of practice Wednesday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
The addition of "rest" alongside Cooper's name on the injury report for a third straight week suggests the receiver is in little danger of missing Sunday's game against Pittsburgh. He played through the hip injury the past two weeks, putting up a 6-72-0 receiving line against the Saints and then a 3-105-2 line versus Washington.
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Browns' Amari Cooper: Pair of touchdowns in Week 17
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Cooper recorded three receptions on four targets for 105 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 24-10 win over the Commanders.
The Browns ran a very conservative offense, as Deshaun Watson attempted only 18 passes. As a result, Cooper was able to lead the team with only four targets, and he also made the most of his opportunity by turning in two long touchdowns of 46 and 33 yards. The effort marked both his first trips to the end zone and 100-yard performance since Week 11.
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Browns' Amari Cooper: Possible Bust (Lineup Decisions)
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It's probably safe to assume Cooper can come close to 15 PPR points this week, but that's about as good as it will get. Watson is still working his way back from a long layoff and will absolutely be under pressure from the jump against Washington's violent pass rush. I'd rather start Drake London, Terry McLaurin and Christian Kirk in PPR, and D.J. Chark and Gabe Davis in non-PPR.
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Browns' Amari Cooper: Sheds injury designation
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Cooper (hip) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against Washington, JP Finlay of NBC Sports reports.
Cooper was kept out of practice Wednesday for rest purposes, but he logged limited sessions Thursday and Friday, which was enough to confirm his availability. His chemistry with quarterback Deshaun Watson has been slowly improving, as Cooper has raised his yardage total in each of Watson's first four starts, going from 40 in Week 13 to 72 in Week 16.
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Browns' Amari Cooper: Returns to practice
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Cooper (rest/hip) returned to a limited practice Thursday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Cooper has been managing a hip issue of late, but his presence at practice Thursday after sitting out Wednesday's session has him trending in the right direction ahead of Sunday's game against the Commanders. Friday's injury report will reveal whether the Browns' top wideout heads into the weekend with an injury designation or cleared to play, but assuming he's available, Cooper should remain busy versus Washington on the heels of catching six of his 10 targets for 72 yards in this past Saturday's loss to the Saints.
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Browns' Amari Cooper: No practice to start week
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Cooper (rest/hip) didn't practice Wednesday.
The Browns' decision to list him with a "rest/hip" designation for a second straight week suggests Cooper isn't in any real danger of sitting out Sunday in Washington. He was the only pass catcher to make any noise in this past Saturday's 17-10 loss to the Saints, though his 6-72-0 receiving line would have been much better for fantasy managers if he hadn't slipped in the end zone and dropped an easy touchdown. In any case, Cooper has drawn 28.6 percent of the targets from Deshaun Watson so far, up a notch from the 26.5 percent share he logged with Jacoby Brissett under center. The Browns simply haven't moved the ball well on offense, and they'll face a couple talented defenses to close out the season, first taking on the Commanders and then the Steelers in Week 18.
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Browns' Amari Cooper: Double-digit targets in loss
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Cooper secured six of 10 targets for 72 yards in the Browns' 17-10 loss to the Saints on Saturday.
Cooper comfortably led the Browns in receptions, receiving yards and targets on the afternoon, serving as one of the few bright spots for Cleveland's passing attack in frigid conditions. The veteran's numbers were his best yet in four games with Deshaun Watson as his quarterback, and he'll aim to improve on them in a Week 17 road battle versus the Commanders on Jan. 1.
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Browns' Amari Cooper: WRs to Sit
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The weather in Cleveland is expected to be bad, with high winds and snow, and that could make things even tougher for Cooper this week. He's struggled with Deshaun Watson so far, scoring nine PPR points or less in three games in a row, and he's been under 60 receiving yards in each outing. He was even bad at home last week against Baltimore with four catches for 58 yards on six targets. The Saints defense should present a decent challenge for Cooper, but I'm concerned about the weather and his lack of production with Watson. Cooper is at best a low-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week in the majority of leagues.
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Browns' Amari Cooper: Sit Him (Lineup Decisions)
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Even if the conditions were picturesque, Cooper isn't a safe bet for even 10 PPR points given the past three games with Watson. Tack on blustery winds and he's completely impossible to trust. I'd chance it with Marquise Goodwin, Tyler Boyd or D.J. Chark over Cooper for this week.
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Browns' Amari Cooper: Cleared for Saturday's game
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Cooper (rest/hip) doesn't carry an injury designation for Saturday's game against the Saints after logging a limited practice listing Thursday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Cooper was listed as a 'DNP' on Tuesday and Wednesday's practice reports, as he continues to have his reps managed while he works through a hip issue. However, the Browns' top wideout will be available this weekend after having recorded a 73 percent snap share in the team's Week 15 win over the Ravens en route to catching four of his six targets for a team-high 58 yards in a contest in which QB Deshaun Watson threw for 161 yards.
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Browns' Amari Cooper: Sits out practice
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Cooper (rest/hip) didn't practice Wednesday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Cooper also managed the hip issue ahead of last Saturday's game against the Ravens before suiting up and playing 46 snaps in the Browns' 13-3 win. Though he's gone down as a non-participant on the Browns' first two Week 16 practice reports, the fact that he's being listed as out due to rest in addition to the knee issue suggests that he'll likely be ready to play this Saturday versus the Saints.
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Browns' Amari Cooper: Held to 58 yards
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Cooper recorded four catches on six targets for 58 yards in Saturday's 13-3 win over Baltimore.
Cooper paced the Browns in yards and tied for the team lead in both receptions and targets. He also accounted for Cleveland's longest play from scrimmage with a 28-yard catch and run midway through the third quarter. Even with those positives, Cooper has failed to top 60 receiving yards in three of his last five games and has suffered from Cleveland's general lack of offense in recent weeks.
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Browns' Amari Cooper: Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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I'll warn you, it's risky to consider benching Cooper at home. This season, he's scored at least 14 PPR points in all six home games, and he has five touchdowns in Cleveland. But right now he's struggling with a hip injury, and in two games with Deshaun Watson, Cooper has combined for 14 PPR points on the road at Houston and Cincinnati. This week, Cooper has a tough matchup against the Ravens, who have allowed just two touchdowns to opposing receivers since Week 8. I'm still starting Cooper in three-receiver leagues, but his injury and this matchup make me leery of using him in two-receiver formats.
