‘DBs are kind of afraid to get too close’
BEREA ― Amari Cooper will have family members in attendance Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium as he attempts to strike fear into defensive backs playing for his hometown NFL team.
Although Cooper grew up rooting for the Miami Dolphins, there won’t be any sentimentality while he tries to torch opponents as the leading wide receiver of the Browns.
“DBs are kind of afraid to get too close to him ’cause he’s strong, he can run through the break points, through contact,” Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said Thursday. “He’s got a great burst.
“You think you see it on tape, but until you really get to hear him talk through how he runs his routes and the way he’s explosive and powerful, [you don’t fully appreciate it].”
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Cooper has been the go-to target for quarterback Jacoby Brissett, compiling 39 catches on 66 targets for 553 yards and five touchdowns this season. He is ranked 21st among the 114 qualifying receivers ProFootballFocus.com has graded in 2022.
In other words, Cooper has proved to be a steal for the Browns (3-5) after they acquired him for a fifth-round draft pick and a swap of sixth-round choices in a March trade with the Dallas Cowboys.
“If I knew he was good [before the trade], I know he’s great now or excellent,” Browns two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward said. “So he’s a heck of a player. I mean, you guys see it week in and week out what he’s capable of, able to release off the ball and get open, make catches, make plays. … He’s definitely a great player for us, and we’re definitely gonna need him for the long run.”
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Amari Cooper grew up as a Miami Dolphins fan
Cooper, 28, graduated from Miami Northwestern Senior High School in Miami. He rooted for Ricky Williams, Bedford High School product Chris Chambers, Zach Thomas, Ronnie Brown and University of Akron legend Jason Taylor, among other Dolphins (6-3).
“I’ve got family going [to the game] for sure,” Cooper said. “I don’t know [the number]. It’s not finalized yet. Some of them will be last minute, so we’ll see.”
As an NFL player, Cooper has had two games against the Dolphins in Miami Gardens, Florida, both with the Oakland Raiders. On Nov. 5, 2017, he registered four catches on nine targets for 58 yards in a 27-24 win over the Dolphins. On Sept. 23, 2018, he caught two passes on five targets for 17 yards in a 28-20 loss to the Dolphins.
Coming off the Browns’ Week 9 bye, Cooper is seeking more. In a Week 8 win over the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals on a Halloween edition of “Monday Night Football,” Cooper had a season-high 131 yards and a touchdown on five catches.
“We now have a really good understanding of what he does extremely well, and we’re trying to put him in the best positions for him to be successful,” Van Pelt said. “I know Jacoby has a real good feeling of where he’s going to be and when he’s going to come out of breaks and how he’s going to run his routes. It’s paying off. He’s really done a great job. We were lucky to get him.”
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Communication between Cooper and Brissett continues to evolve. They have bonded partly over hailing from South Florida. Brissett, 29, attended William T. Dwyer High School in Palm Beach Gardens.
“When you’re from a certain place, you automatically have certain things in common culturally, certain words and stuff that you use and certain places,” Cooper said. “So we were able to jell really quickly. You’re right about that.”
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Their chemistry has been built beyond the walls of Browns headquarters in Berea.
“There’s text chains going on throughout the evenings when guys are watching film,” Van Pelt said. “You’ll hear Jacoby say, ‘Amari texted me last night and told me to look at this clip.’ A lot of work goes into it, and those guys do a great job.”
A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Cooper must be on the same page with Brissett to succeed against the Dolphins. Three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard is a matchup Cooper will likely encounter.
“His technique is real sound, real physical at the line of scrimmage, IQ ― he really has it all,” Cooper said. “He’s a really great player.
“You know it’s going to be a competitive grind, so I just approach it the same way as far as watching film and everything like that, but I just know it’s going to be a bit harder.”
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The Browns like their chances with Cooper.
“Most of the time, anytime we need a big third-down conversion, it’s finding Amari,” four-time Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio said. “But he works hard. He’s at the facility all the time. He studies his film. I think he’s a great example for the young receivers, young skill-position guys.
“They really do have some great examples with him and [running back] Nick [Chubb] ― the way they work, the way they produce on the field, so it’s been really good. He’s a little bit quiet, kind of like Nick, but when we need a big moment, it seems like we’re finding him, and he’s finding the ball.”
It’s enough to make even formidable defenders squirm a bit.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at [email protected].
On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Amari Cooper preps for Browns vs. Dolphins ‘homecoming game’
