Just hours after the Jets acquired Devante Adams from the Raiders, the Buffalo Bills strengthened their receiving core by trading for Browns WR Amari Cooper.
BREAKING NEWS: The #Browns are trading Amari Cooper to the #Bills per @Schultz_Report pic.twitter.com/reBpb3fevF
— ThePredictors (@Thepredictors_) October 15, 2024
In this trade, the Bills will receive Amari Cooper and a 2025 sixth-round pick, while the Browns will receive a third-round pick in 2025 and a seventh-round pick in 2026. The Bills are getting Cooper on a minimum contract since the Browns restructured Cooper’s contract before the season.
Cooper, who is 30, has had a solid 2024 campaign, bringing in 24 catches for 250 yards and two touchdowns. Despite being on one of the worst offenses in the league, Cooper has still found a way to produce. Last year, Cooper made the Pro Bowl, where he finished the season with 72 receptions for 1,250 yards and five touchdowns. Cooper always seems to be an underrated receiver for any team he is on despite being one of the more talented receivers in the league. For example, Cooper has six seasons with another 1,000 receiving yards and has done that on three separate teams. Now, with the best quarterback he has played with in his career, he should flourish in Buffalo, sliding right into the WR1 role.
This is Cooper’s fourth team throughout his 11-year career and the third time he has been traded. The then-Oakland Raiders drafted the veteran wide receiver fourth overall in the 2015 draft. Cooper was traded to the Cowboys midseason in 2018 and then was traded again to the Browns before the season started in 2022. Cooper joined the Bills with 691 career receptions for 9,736 yards and 62 touchdowns.
Thank you, Coop pic.twitter.com/QYNuglquhE
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 15, 2024
This trade has a serious impact on the Bills, as their receiving core was not one of the best heading into this season. After losing both Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis last season, there was no real WR1 for the Bills. So far this season, their leading receiver is Khalil Shakir, who only has 249 receiving yards. With this addition, Shakir can slide back into his Slot/WR2 role while Cooper handles the WR1 role. It should be a nice one-two punch.
The Browns seem to be leaning toward a tanking role for this season. After falling to 1-5 against the Eagles on Sunday and with an offense that hasn’t scored above 20 points this entire season, the Browns might have started to give up on this season. Still, Nick Chubb is set to make his return this week against the Bengals, and their offense does have decent weapons in Jerry Juedy and David Njoku. It will be interesting to see what happens in Cleveland from here.
The Bills and new WR1 Amari Cooper will face the Titans at 1 p.m. EST on Sunday.
