Ben Staker
Sports Editor
Just hours after the divisional rival New York Jets finalized a trade for Davante Adams, the Buffalo Bills quickly stole headlines by acquiring star wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns.
The official trade details according to NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero see Cooper and a 2025 sixth-round pick via the Detroit Lions heading to Buffalo for a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 seventh-round pick.
After trading their star wide receiver Stefon Diggs in the offseason, the Bills came into the season with what appeared to be a weak wide receiver core. The team had hoped for tight end Dalton Kincaid to assume the role of being the most targeted player, but after six weeks he and the offense have yet to take that form.
Despite a 4-2 start and a two-game lead in the AFC East, the Bills haven’t been as impressive on the offensive side of the ball as they were in previous years. Head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane spotted this early and decided it was time to make a move for a premiere receiver.
After converting most of his salary into a signing bonus in the offseason, Amari Cooper became an appealing trade target to many contending teams struggling with cap space issues like the Buffalo Bills. The flexibility of Cooper’s cap hit puts the Bills in a position to make more moves later in the season if they feel the need to.
From the Cleveland Browns side of things, this trade was made to try and get as much value out of Cooper and his expiring contract as possible. The team assumed Cooper was unlikely to re-sign following an unimpressive 1-5 start. While the return in the trade isn’t flashy, it’s good value considering the time Cooper had left with the Browns. The team may not get a player of the same impact in the third round, but more than enough talent should be available to them at the pick.
Much like the Davante Adams trade, I see this as a win-win for both teams. Right now the Bills seem like the clear winner because they’re bringing in a very talented receiver, but the Browns getting the value they did for a player on a cheap expiring contract was great too.
I look forward to seeing the impact Amari Cooper can have on the Bills offense. Going from Deshaun Watson in Cleveland to Josh Allen in Buffalo is likely a much-welcomed change of scenery for Cooper, and should allow him to play some of the best football of his career.