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Philadelphia Eagles cut ties with Riley Cooper

By Carl Cockerham

Dec 20, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper (14) runs onto the field for the start of a game against the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field. The Cardinals won 40-17. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper (14) runs onto the field for the start of a game against the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field. The Cardinals won 40-17. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 20, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper (14) runs onto the field for the start of a game against the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field. The Cardinals won 40-17. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper (14) runs onto the field for the start of a game against the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field. The Cardinals won 40-17. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

The Philadelphia Eagles have finally cut ties with controversial receiver Riley Cooper. The team announced they released the wide receiver Monday, the first day teams can cut players. Under former head coach Chip Kelly, Cooper signed a 5-year, $22.5 million contract with $8 million guaranteed in 2014.

That move was made under Kelly’s watch right after his controversial racial slur the previous season. Now the Kelly is gone, the Eagles must have figured his 904 yards over the last two season weren’t worth the trouble. They will save $2.9 million on the cap by cutting Cooper, while incurring $2.4 million in dead money.

The Eagles in the 5th-round pick of the 2010 draft just never could build on his career high 835 yards and eight touchdowns on 47 receptions in 2013. Cooper is just 28 years old so he young enough to catch on with another team. In fact, his next stop may be in San Francisco with the 49ers since Kelly is there now and Cooper knows his system.

And as for the Eagles, they will enter free agency with Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor, Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff as their top wideouts. Perhaps Agholor, the Eagles 1st-round pick that came from a pro style offense at USC, will benefit the most from the Eagles’ coaching and system change.

It looks like new head coach Doug Pederson is keeping those that don’t fit Kelly’s systems and cutting those that fit them. The Eagles are even inquiring about Los Angeles Rams quarterback Nick Foles, whom Kelly traded to the Rams for current quarterback Sam Bradford. Foles wasn’t so good with the Rams in 2015 so perhaps they can reverse the trade.

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