After making headlines for all the wrong reasons last summer, Riley Cooper has put together a productive campaign in Philadelphia.
Stepping in for the injured Jeremy Maclin, the Eagles wide receiver has hauled in seven touchdowns as a favorite target of Nick Foles in Chip Kelly's avant-garde attack. After generating just 679 yards over his first three NFL seasons, Cooper has piled up 714 yards in 2013. Set to become a free agent, Cooper hopes to be a long-term piece of Kelly's puzzle.
"I want to be back here," Cooper said this week, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Everyone around here knows that I love the scheme. I think I fit in it well with the bubble screens and the stuff that we do with blocking and being a bigger guy and a bigger target."
Riley also has emerged as a deep threat for Foles, ranking eighth among all NFL receivers with 19.3 yards per reception. The Eagles, however, have plenty to ponder at the position. After signing DeSean Jackson to a five-year, $47 million deal in 2012, Philly also must decide whether or not to hand a new contract to Maclin, who is coming off a torn ACL.
Kelly has done a fascinating job with the players he inherited, but the Eagles roster remains a work-in-progress, one certain to undergo a wave of changes this offseason. Cooper, if nothing else, has made a strong case for sticking around.
The "Around The League Podcast" is now available on iTunes! Click here to listen and subscribe.
