9:22am: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk provides a few more details on Cooper’s salary, reporting that $4MM comes in the form of a signing bonus, $4MM in base salary is fully guaranteed, and $2MM in 2015 salary is guaranteed for injury only. That $2MM becomes fully guaranteed if Cooper is still on the roster on the first day of the 2015 league year.
8:38am: Cooper’s deal includes $10MM in guaranteed money, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
THURSDAY, 8:03am: The agreement between Cooper and the Eagles is actually for a five-year contract, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Schefter reports that the deal will be worth $25MM, good for a $5MM annual average.
Meanwhile, Mosher continues to hear that the deal is essentially a four-year pact, and is only five years “by letter of the law.” He tweets that the final year is likely voidable.
WEDNESDAY, 8:18pm: The Eagles and wide receiver Riley Cooper have agreed to a four-year deal, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (on Twitter). Cooper is expected to ink the deal tomorrow. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer first reported that the two sides were nearing agreement.
Cooper, 26, closed out his rookie deal in style with a breakout season in 2013. After being at the center of a preseason controversy when he used a racial slur, Cooper got positive attention by setting career-highs in receptions (47), receiving yards (835), and receiving touchdowns (8). Terms of the deal are not yet known but some speculated that he would see multiyear offers in the $5MM per year range if he hit the open market.
In addition to Cooper, Eagles receiver Jeremy Maclin is also eligible for unrestricted free agency in March. While some thought that it would turn into a one-or-the-other scenario, today’s reports indicate that both could be back in Philly for 2014. The Eagles freed up a little cap room earlier today when they extended Jason Peters‘ contract, so it’ll be a little easier to find space for both of their free agent receivers.
Oh behalf of all Jets fans, I say Hooray!