Cleveland Browns WR Amari Cooper earned praise he most likely won't forget

Amari Cooper wants to be in Cleveland.

He explained as much Thursday when he detailed that a hold-out was never in the cards for the Browns' go-to pass-catcher.

Cleveland made Cooper's life easier when it added $5 million in incentives that could be reached for Cooper and they opted to guarantee the $20 million he was due . The Browns didn't just let Cooper know he was appreciated with money. Head coach Kevin Stefanski offered rare effusive praise of his star, indicating the desire for Cooper to be in Cleveland was mutual.

"He's a very productive player, and (general manager) Andrew (Berry) has talked about this before as well, but Amari really fits in with who we are," Stefanski said after the first day of training camp. "He works very, very hard, doesn't say much. Kind of keeps the focus on the football field. Practices hard, and doesn't miss games. We as an offensive staff love moving Amari around and finding different ways to get him the football. So, we're very excited that he's here."

When on the field together, Cooper and quarterback Deshaun Watson are a difficult duo to beat.

In a mere 12 games with Watson, Cooper has racked up 51 catches for 870 yards and four touchdowns.

During a year where everything is riding on Watson's health, Cleveland is hoping the duo can produce similar numbers and then some.

"Amari is the OG when it comes to wide receivers," Stefanski said. "They all look up to him. They all respect him. When he speaks, everybody listens. They watch how he works. He doesn't have to say much, but the way he works really factors into our young guys."

Cooper was recently named to the NFL Top 100 Players list, coming in at 70 overall.

The AFC North is one of the toughest divisions in football. To compete, the Browns need a focused Cooper and a healthy Watson. That may be in the cards for the 2024 season.