Amari Cooper to The Bills!

October 16th, 2024

By: Jack Weisberg

The Buffalo Bills have just made a huge splash in the trade market, adding veteran wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns. In a deal confirmed Tuesday, the Bills get Cooper and a sixth-round pick in 2025 in return for sending the Browns a third-rounder in 2025 along with a seventh-round pick in 2026. This definitely shakes things up for an offense in Buffalo. Cooper, 30 now, is still among the top wideouts in the game. He has been to five Pro Bowls and has compiled seven 1,000-yard seasons to this point in his career.

In seven games with Cleveland this year, he has 24 catches for 250 yards and two touchdowns. The Browns have struggled out of the gate this season, at 1-5, so it seems that they are shaking things up. This move couldn't come at a better time for the Bills, who are 4-2 coming off of a tight 23-20 win over the New York Jets. Adding in a player like Cooper provides quarterback Josh Allen with a big-time target—a commodity he hasn't enjoyed since Stefon Diggs was traded to the Texans back in April. Thus far, the Bills have been counting on guys like tight end Dalton Kincaid and wide receiver Khalil Shakir to step up. Kincaid leads the team with 21 catches, while Shakir has 249 receiving yards thus far.

But add Cooper into the mix, and it goes to a whole different level. Perhaps the most exciting thing about this move, though, is how much Cooper can help in those clutch moments that mean so much. He's known for delivering under pressure, and that's exactly what Josh Allen and the Bills need to string together more positive drives—especially with the game on the line. Cooper can find the soft spots in coverage and make tough catches, which will be huge for Allen on third downs or in the red zone. Mix in Cooper, and the Buffalo offense could be a much more consistent and explosive unit in the key situations.

Cleveland thanked Cooper for his time with the team. GM Andrew Berry said in a statement that they appreciate everything Cooper did during his two-plus seasons with the Browns, especially being part of their 2023 playoff run. He definitely made his mark there.

In a related move, the Bills cut wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. He hasn't been able to get much going this year, with just two catches for 26 yards. Valdes-Scantling put together a decent career with 188 catches for over 3,000 yards, but the idea of bringing in Cooper made Buffalo decide to go another direction.

All in all, this trade shows that the Bills are serious about making a run this year. Adding a player of Cooper's caliber, it would give them the boost they need to make big plays, but also find consistency in sustaining drives and coming through on clutch moments. If Cooper and Allen can click quickly, perhaps that's the key to a deep playoff run for Buffalo.