Riley Cooper released by Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles released Riley Cooper on Monday, according to an official announcement from the team. Today marked the first opportunity for the Eagles to get rid of Cooper, so they were clearly eager to get this done.

This was a roster move that everyone saw coming from miles away. Cooper clearly didn't live up to the big contract extension he signed during the 2013 offseason. Cooper ranked as the worst wide receiver in the NFL by Pro Football Focus in 2014. He wasn't all that much better in 2015. Cooper played in all 16 games last season and failed to register a catch in seven of those appearances.

Cooper's release saves the Eagles $2.9 million in cap space. It also creates $2.4 million in dead money. Considering how bad he's been, this cut was a no-brainer.

Eagles fans will obviously be excited to hear about this news. He was hardly a fan favorite due to both his on-field struggles and his off-field racial slur incident.

The Eagles originally drafted Cooper in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He mostly served as a backup before being thrust into a starting role in 2013. He put up career numbers in Chip Kelly's first season as head coach, but he never sustained that success.

With Cooper gone, the Eagles currently have five receivers under contract: Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor, Josh Huff, Jonathan Krause, and Freddie Martino. Seyi Ajirotutu is set to be a free agent in March. Cooper's dismissal opens up more playing time for Philadelphia's wide receivers. It also means the Eagles could look to add some more bodies at the position this offseason.