That's it. The chapter is finally closed. After the Philadelphia Eagles were able to move on and trade wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots, everyone could take a breath and start focusing on moving forward.
Brown's departure has obviously been in the works for a long time now, and the Eagles' offseason moves made it even more apparent that a deal would end up being worked out. But, beyond the notable moves is a player who now has to feel very good about his chances of sticking around.
Former Tarleton State product Darius Cooper went undrafted in 2025 and ultimately made the 53-man roster. He quickly emerged as a fan favorite as well.
But, after the Eagles' offseason moves this year, things started to look grim.
Now, following the Brown trade, it sure looks like Cooper should feel good about his chances of making it another season in Philadelphia.
Darius Cooper's status with the Eagles has changed drastically over the course of one offseason
Going into the offseason, Cooper probably didn't feel too much pressure. But then, the Eagles went out and signed veteran Marquise "Hollywood" Brown.
OK, so, one move ... not all that scary.
Then, Philadelphia went out and traded for former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks. Things got a little more tight for Cooper at that point, because there was now both money and draft capital invested in multiple wide receivers.
Of course, then the biggest move of all came when Howie Roseman selected Makai Lemon in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. So at this point, Cooper is looking at three new wide receivers in the Eagles' room.
It had to be quite daunting, especially when he looks around knowing there's obviously still DeVonta Smith, who isn't going anywhere, but Quez Watkins and 2024 sixth-round pick Johnny Wilson right there next to him competing for a spot.
Now, with Brown out of the way, Cooper has a much clearer path to keeping a job.
You've got to believe the Eagles' locks are Smith, Lemon, Brown and Wicks at this point. Last year, after the final cuts, Philadelphia ended up keeping five wide receivers on the roster. If we're looking at thinking the similar thing for 2026, then Cooper is competing for one final spot along with Watkins, Wilson, Britain Covey and Elijah Moore.
It isn't illogical to believe he can beat out those four players, especially after proving himself last year and doing enough to earn a spot. But, that doesn't mean it will be easy.
As we know, training camp is a grind. Anything can happen. We are surprised each and every year all across the league.
Read more: Eagles make another pre-A.J. Brown trade roster move to make space
But, for the sake of this argument, Cooper has to be feeling a lot better about his chances at sticking around after the Brown trade. His path is far clearer than it was before.
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