As part of a new deal, the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday acquired Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns, and under this agreement, quarterback Josh Allen's No. 1 wide receiver has been added to the team.
The Bills acquired Cooper and a sixth-round draft pick in 2025 as part of the deal, and in return, they gave a third-round pick in 2025 and a seventh-round selection in 2026.
And 30-year-old Cooper will step up as the No. 1 receiver for the Bills, filling the gap that arose after Stefon Diggs was traded to the Houston Texans before the season. Cooper will take on the role of the Bills' No. 1 receiver to address this void.
And the Bills completed this deal at the same time their rivals, the New York Jets, made a big trade by acquiring Davante Adams from Las Vegas. Seeing this situation, the Bills also decided to make their own significant trade.
In recent months, the Browns received multiple offers for Cooper, but he did not accept any of them at the time. He was in the final season of a five-year deal that he originally signed as a member of the Dallas Cowboys, but his contract was not finalized. These circumstances further motivated and made Cooper more attractive as a trade candidate. Cleveland aimed to convert most of Cooper's $20 million base salary into a bonus to enhance his appeal to potential trade partners.
We saw that in 2023, Cooper recorded an impressive performance with approximately 1,250 yards. On the other hand, the Browns made significant efforts to improve, but they failed to score 20 points in each of their first six games. Cooper is leading in Cleveland with 250 yards and two touchdowns, yet his 4.7 yards per target ranks second worst among NFL pass catchers. Additionally, his three drops are tied for the sixth most in the league.
And we highly appreciate Amari during these two years because he worked with dedication and enthusiasm on the field. The Browns' general manager, Andrew Berry, also spoke highly of him in a statement. He mentioned that the memorable moments we shared with Amari are something we will never forget, as those moments on the field are always remembered. He was an integral part of the 2023 playoff team, but we wish him the best in Buffalo as he continues his NFL career
We have seen that Cooper's addition provides significant help to the Bills as a receiver. Without Diggs, the team adopted a "one for all" mentality to ensure that all players could be involved in any offensive play at all times. However, particularly in the last three games, the receivers faced significant challenges in getting open on the field. The Bills' wide receivers rank around 25th in targets, which is a concerning statistic.
Cooper is being traded for the third time during his entire career because in 2018, the Raiders traded him to the Cowboys, and in 2022, Dallas traded him to the Browns. As a player who has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times, he has recorded 691 receptions, 9,736 yards, and numerous touchdowns throughout his ten-season career.
