Eagles release veteran receiver Riley Cooper

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In an unsurprising move, the Eagles have released veteran receiver Riley Cooper. 

Cooper, 28, had been with the Eagles since 2010, when he was drafted in the fifth round out of Florida. The Eagles will save $2.9 million against their cap in 2016 by cutting Cooper, who was scheduled to have a cap hit of $5.3 million this year. 

In his up-and-down six-year career with the Eagles, Cooper caught 169 passes and had 18 touchdowns. But in 2015, he had a disappointing year, with 21 catches for 327 yards and two touchdowns. 

In July of 2013, Cooper was filmed shouting a racial slur at a Kenny Chesney concert in an incident that went viral and made him a very polarizing figure in Philadelphia and nationally. Despite a growing contingent that wanted the Eagles to release him then, the team and new head coach Chip Kelly kept him on the roster anyway. Cooper apologized and was sent away to sensitivity training for four days. At the time, some teammates — like Mike Vick and Jason Avant — came to his defense, while others admitted their relationship with the receiver would be different. 

The 2013 season ended up begin a breakout year for Cooper. He became a starter for an injured Jeremy Maclin and caught 47 passes for 835 yards and eight touchdowns. After that season, Cooper was signed to an expensive five-year, $22.5 million contract. 

Cooper, however, never lived up to that deal. While he caught 55 passes in 2014, he had just 577 receiving yards and three touchdowns. In 2015, his numbers dropped again. 

Monday was the first day teams were allowed to release players who finished the 2015 season on the active roster. Cooper is now a free agent. 

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