Amari Cooper’s second stint with the Raiders was short-lived, after the wideout elected to retire on Thursday.
But it doesn’t seem like Las Vegas will have to alter its game plan much with Cooper’s absence.
“He’s a talented player, now,” offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said in his Thursday press conference. “But he called Pete [Carroll] this morning, had a good conversation with Pete, and I think he’s just done playing. But you could still see the talent was there.
"[W]e hadn’t had any discussions [about Cooper’s playing time],” Kelly added. “We said we’re going to go through Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and then we’d determine who was up and who was down. So, it’s unfortunate because I think the world of him. I think he’s a heck of a football player, he’s had a heck of a career. But he knows in his heart what he wants to do, so I wish him the best. I’ve always been a big fan of his.”
Kelly noted that he still feels good about Las Vegas’ group of receivers, largely due to the presence of quarterback Geno Smith.
"[H]aving a veteran quarterback, I think if you had maybe a bunch of young wideouts and a young guy pulling the trigger, you’ve got a rookie at the running back spot, that’s a little bit different,” Kelly said. “But I think the fact that Geno’s there, that Jakobi’s there, Jakobi [Meyers has] got a lot of reps. And then there’s a lot of experience at the tight end spot.
“So, we feel pretty good about some positions, but the other guys, that’s what this league is — there’s going to be certain spots where no one’s totally set in their depth at every position and got veterans playing everywhere. It just doesn’t happen that way. Some positions, you feel really good about. Other ones, you feel good, but you’re not sure until you get them in a game. So, that’s what I’m excited about — those young guys going to go play a game.”
