Amari Cooper: Buffalo Bills acquire WR in trade from Cleveland Browns

CNN
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The Buffalo Bills announced Tuesday that they have completed a trade for wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns, bolstering their offense for the remainder of the season.

The Bills received Cooper and a 2025 sixth-round draft pick, with a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 seventh-round pick going to Cleveland in return.

“Move or rust,” Cooper wrote on his Instagram Story shortly after the news was announced.

It's potentially a seismic move for Buffalo, filling the void left by Stefon Diggs after he was traded to the Houston Texans in the offseason.

Cooper comes to New York State to take over the No. 1 receiver position left by Diggs, giving quarterback Josh Allen a clear top target as he is a receiver by committee through the first six weeks of the season. approach.

After the trade was announced, Bills head coach Sean McDermott said Cooper's “ability to create separation” would add to the team's “character offensively.”

McDermott added that having Cooper's former receiving coach from his time in Dallas, Adam Henry, on Buffalo's staff helped the team sign him.

“Adam and I were talking about Amari earlier today. And the things he said were positive. “You always want to connect with people who have met the player,” McDermott said.

“We probably wouldn't have done this if Adam hadn't given us his blessing: 'Hey, this is what I know about Amari, what kind of person he is, what type of player he is.'”

Cooper was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft out of Alabama by the then-Oakland Raiders. Tuesday's trademark move marks the third time Cooper has gotten a deal in his career; In 2019 he moved from the Raiders to the Dallas Cowboys before moving to the Browns in 2022.

The 30-year-old was selected to the Pro Bowl five times and has 9,736 receiving yards and 62 touchdowns in his career. He had six seasons with more than 1,000 yards, including his last two full seasons in 2022 and 2023.

Last season, Cooper posted a career-high 1,250 receiving yards for a Cleveland team that lost in the first round of the playoffs.

This season, however, the Browns are off to a 1-5 start with a sputtering offense. Cooper has cut a frustrated figure, recording 24 catches for 250 yards and two touchdowns.

“We appreciate Amari’s hard work, professionalism and on-field contributions during his two-plus seasons with us,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said in a statement Tuesday. “He created many memorable moments with us and was an integral part of our 2023 playoff team. We wish him all the best in Buffalo as he continues his NFL career.”

Cooper now joins a wide receiver room that includes Khalil Shakir, rookie Keon Coleman and tight end duo Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox.

Unlike the Browns, the Bills are off to a much more successful start as they sit atop the AFC East with a 4-2 record after beating the New York Jets 23-20 on Monday Night Football.

Cooper's trade comes on the same day that fellow receiver Davante Adams was traded from the Raiders to the New York Jets.