Zac Boyer will be entering his third season covering the Washington Redskins for The Free Lance-Star this fall. Make sure to follow Zac on Twitter (@ZacBoyer) for the latest updates or e-mail him with any questions at zboyer@freelancestar.com.
Mike Shanahan: Bruce Allen, Chris Cooley Spoke On Thursday
By ZAC BOYER
ASHBURN – Washington Redskins general manager Bruce Allen spoke to recently released tight end Chris Cooley on Thursday, according to head coach Mike Shanahan.
Cooley
Cooley was released by the Redskins on Aug. 30 after eight seasons with the team. Allen said on Sept. 7 that he would meet with Cooley at some point in the following week.
“It was a good conversation,” Shanahan said. “You know, Chris is such a big part of this organization, and has been a big part of this organization – he’s looked at his options. We’ve talked about things that could possibly happen throughout the year, but if he did go to another team, it would have to be as a starter, and if he doesn’t have that opportunity, he’s going to sit back and feel himself as time goes on. But he’s not going to make any decisions quickly.”
Shanahan declined to go into any additional detail about the meeting with Cooley, who is the Redskins’ all-time leader in receptions by a tight end.
Cooley was scheduled to make $3.8 million this season, the fifth of a six-year, $30 million contract, and he counted for $6.23 million against the salary cap. Shanahan said at the time of Cooley’s release the move had nothing to do with money and everything to do with his desire to be a full-time player.
“He means a lot to this organization and right now, he’d still like to come back as a starter possibly if somebody goes down,” Shanahan said.
