An immediate roster purge kicked off as soon as general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan joined the San Francisco 49ers last year. Little remains of the 2016 squad that went 2-14 under Chip Kelly.
The same thing may be happening in Oakland with new head coach Jon Gruden. He's already traded away one of his biggest stars and most impactful players in pass rusher Khalil Mack. Gruden may be aiming to depart with other players who preceded his arrival.
A report by Jay Glazer of FOX Sports surfaced over the weekend that the Raiders are shopping the No. 4 overall pick from 2015, wide receiver Amari Cooper along with former first-round safety Karl Joseph. Glazer said that Oakland has been calling around the league to gauge interest in the two players.
"So, fire sale in Oakland," Glazer said.
After already trading Khalil Mack, @JayGlazer reports that the Raiders have been in discussions to trade former first round picks Amari Cooper and Karl Joseph. pic.twitter.com/6QrogAHNAQ
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 14, 2018
While there has been no reported interest on the part of the San Francisco 49ers, Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice joined 95.7 The Game on Monday morning, as he does during the season on a weekly basis, and extensively discussed the possibility of his former team acquiring Cooper.
"I know what he brings to the table," Rice said on the "Joe, Lo, and Dibs" show. "Right now, in the receiving core (for the 49ers), we haven't had that receiver that went out and just completely dominated every football game. They've been struggling a little bit in that area, and if you can bring a guy like Amari Cooper in and add him into the mix, then knowing that he's a very productive receiver, he's a guy that can get downfield, can get behind you, can strike some fear into the opponent, why not go for it?"
Cooper has had an up and down season. He has 22 receptions for 280 yards with a touchdown but only two games with eight-or-more catches and over 100 receiving yards. Cooper recorded over 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first two NFL seasons.
Rice attributes Cooper's struggles to the Raiders' difficulties as a team.
"If this guy can come in and if he can work a little bit harder, he can work on his skills, I think he really can contribute to the San Francisco 49ers," he said.
Rice has always been impressed with Cooper, who he felt was coming into his own. The legendary receiver believes Cooper is explosive and a solid route runner.
"I know this guy is very good and running routes and right now it's just a lack of confidence and catching the football, but he can add a dimension to the Niners that we don't have right now," Rice adds.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Rice below.
It is important to note that Gruden denied knowing about Oakland potentially shopping Cooper. He briefly addressed the rumor after the Seattle Seahawks beat the Raiders 27-3 in London on Sunday — a game Cooper left after suffering a concussion.
"I haven't heard that," Gruden said via the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "I'm just sorry to have to deal with a lot of these reports. I just hope Amari is OK. Like I said, he's going to be a big part of our pass offense, and we'll see what happens here. Hopefully, he's all right."
The 49ers might have to significantly outbid other teams — if they are even interested in Cooper and if he is on the market. San Francisco aggressively pursued Mack when he became available. Lynch said on Friday that the 49ers' offer for the game-changing defensive player was similar to the one from the Chicago Bears.
"Our offer was very similar to the one that ultimately won out," Lynch said during a KNBR interview. "I don't know what went into the Raiders' mindset in terms of where they sent him, but that was one we knew we had a game changer."
It's possible, with two similar offers on the table, the Raiders weren't interested in doing the 49ers any favors and wanted to ship Mack out of the Bay Area to avoid hearing daily reminders of their controversial decision.
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