Raider Nation would probably be pretty content if recent first-round pick Amari Cooper winds up having a Raiders and NFL career that comes anywhere close to mimicking that of soon-to-be Hall of Famer and longtime Oakland wideout Tim Brown. Brown was recently voted into the Hall after put together a 17-year NFL career that included 1,094 receptions, 14,934 yards and 100 touchdowns receiving, along with nine Pro Bowl selections.
Brown, speaking on a national conference call about his looming induction, took a moment to state his belief that Cooper, the Raiders new de facto No. 1 pass-catcher, will be the next great Oakland Raiders wide receiver.
"This guy is just a superb, great receiver and I think he's going to be dominant Day 1," Brown said, via CSN Bay Area. "I saw him at the Heisman deal (Cooper was a finalist for the award) and I told him then that I hope he's still there when the Raiders pick, because there was no way they could bypass him. I just thought that he was that great of a not-miss-type pick. I can't wait to see him Day 1. I think this guy is going to be great."
Cooper, just 21, has already drawn rave reviews from coaches and NFL pundits alike. A report emerged shortly into Raiders OTAs that Cooper, who won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's best receiver during his junior season at Alabama, was the "real deal" and that he and presumed Oakland franchise quarterback Derek Carr were clicking.
Since Brown departed the Raiders franchise in 2003, the team has struggled with a string of poor pass-catchers and mediocre offensive attacks. If Carr and Cooper can join forces and develop a meaningful rapport in training camp, the Raiders could be seeing the beginnings of their next great quarterback-wide receiver combo.
