Amari Cooper Provides Insight Into Browns Offensive Adjustments
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper isn't the most energetic player when it comes to media availability. In many ways, he's like head coach Kevin Stefanski in that he's boring by design, try not to make headlines. Nevertheless, Cooper does try to provide thoughtful answers to questions he's asked and he provided some insight into Browns in-game adjustments on Wednesday.
"The thing about Coach Stefanski, you know, if I tell him that I see something, he's gonna enact that, you know, immediately and that's a good thing. And I try not to come at him with something that's BS for lack of a better word. If I see something and I know it's gonna to work, I'm going to tell him. Every time I've done that, he's called it." - Amari Cooper
It often comes with the territory that a receiver thinks he's open all the time. That dynamic may change when the coach calls the plays the receiver is advocating for, adding a little pressure for the receiver to be right.
As a result, Cooper isn't wasting everyone's time by saying that everything is going to work. With Stefanski utilizing his counsel on what might work, it forces the Browns top receiver to be accountable. That means studying the film, utilizing his years of experience to provide valuable insight.
When it works, everyone's happy. Cooper makes a play which extends a drive or scores, while feeling validated in his call. He has some ownership of the offense. It's going to be more important to him.
The other benefit is it allows the offense to adjust on the fly. There's such a big focus on halftime adjustments, which don't exist in the NFL. Halftime is too short and everyone has a headset and can talk through the game with access to video. The adjustments come with each drive. Cooper can add to that, which means everyone is on the same page.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson spoke to the media right after Cooper, so he was asked about Cooper's input and the value he provides.
"It's awesome to have a smart receiver like Coop whose a veteran guy who understands what he want from him, what the gameplan is basically coming about and then also just what he's seeing out there, you know, with the coverages. With him being able to communicate with me and I communicate with him and when we on the same page, a lot of good things happen."
Watson continued.
"Some things I wouldn't be able to see, you know, in live action, he's working backside and I'm working front side of the play call. So there's different things that I wouldn't be able to see that he's been able to communicate and keep me up. Then when I come to the sideline, I see the pictures and then I'm able to check that out and make some big plays for him."
Watson was then asked to provide a specific example.
"A couple of the go routes, things like that. A couple of the back shoulders, you know, the previous week. So it's kind of little things like that that just kinda pops up, you know, how the corner's gonna play that week."
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid uses play calls from janitors, noting that a good idea is a good idea. For the Browns, who are trying to get this offense going without Nick Chubb, they'd be foolish to ignore valuable input from a player like Amari Cooper as long as he continues to be right. Anything that's going to make the Browns offense better.
