What’s Raiders receiver Amari Cooper want from Derek Carr? The ball, wherever, whenever

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper wants to keep making plays, even on those plays where it doesn’t even seem he’s open.

Can’t blame the former Alabama wide receiver for feeling confident after posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in his first two NFL seasons.

Heading into Year 3, Cooper is up to 217 pounds. He played at 210 last season “but I usually lose a couple of pounds during camp.”

He wants his quarterback, ex-Fresno State star Derek Carr, to keep showing his trust by getting him the ball.

“I definitely would love for my quarterback to trust me even when I don’t really look like I’m open,” Cooper said Friday from the team’s training camp facility in Napa. “Just throw it up there and depend on me to make a play.”

The rapport between Cooper and Carr has been there since Cooper was drafted in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.

In two seasons, Cooper has totaled 2,223 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Part of the reason for that consistency, of course, is the faith Carr has in him.

“We’ve definitely grown in our relationship, and I feel that he trusts me more,” Cooper said. “I definitely trust him more. He knows how I’m going to run my routes. I know how he’s going to throw every route. So, we’ve definitely grown.”

This story was originally published July 28, 2017 at 8:38 PM with the headline "What’s Raiders receiver Amari Cooper want from Derek Carr? The ball, wherever, whenever."