The hairstyles attracted attention a year ago, ranging from mohawks to mullets to a shaggy-do that nearly turned into cornrows. Then it was the socks, burgundy or gold ones, depending on the day, stretched to his knees. Sometimes, they were accompanied with tight shorts, pleasing a certain gender.
There’s flash to Chris Cooley.
There’s also plenty of substance.
This year, there could be even more of it as some in the organization predict an 80-plus catch season for thefourth-year tight end. After all, he’s playing the same spot and running the same routes as Tony Gonzalez in Kansas City. He’s not considered to be as good as Gonzalez, but he will have similar opportunities.
“It is flattering,” Cooley said. “It builds my confidence. I feel that’s a level I can be at and I can do a lot of the same things he can. I want to have the same type of impact on a team that he has or that any great tight end has.”
In practice, Cooley has been a favorite target of quarterback Jason Campbell — and is running more downfield routes than ever.
“I’m getting in and out of my breaks faster than any time in my career,” Cooley said. “I’m just better. I’m quicker. I’m doing things at a faster tempo.”
It helps Campbell that Cooley is a reliable route-runner. And it helps Cooley that he’s entering his second year in this offense, where he’s asked to be more of a traditional tight end than in the past when he was an H-back.
“He’s improved dramatically,” Redskins associate head coach/offense Al Saunders said. “He’s a much better route runner than last year at this time. I expect him to be one of the dominant forces in what we do. He was one of the top one or two tight ends after the catch last year.”
In his first three seasons, Cooley averaged 55 catches and 607 yards per season. This year, big numbers would equal big money as he’s in the final year of his contract. The Redskins have deemed him a priority.
“Right now, I’m just focused on football,” said Cooley, who counts only $1.02 million against the cap this season.
The former third-round pick has been a bargain.
“He’s an all-around player and extremely tough,” Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said. “He wrestled in college and he has that mentality. It’s rare that someone can get him down. … He leads in the way he plays.”
