What Sean McDermott said about new Bills WR Amari Cooper

The Buffalo Bills secured a spot in the already crowded NFL news cycle on Tuesday, completing a deal for five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper. The trade, which sends the former Cleveland Browns wideout across Lake Erie, gives a much-needed alpha wideout to a Buffalo receiving corps that had unsuccessfully tried to replace the overall production vacated by Stefon Diggs; The seven-time 1,000-yard wide receiver has already caught 24 passes for 250 yards this season, making him the team's new all-time leader in both stats despite playing with a much weaker quarterback in Cleveland.

Head coach Sean McDermott spoke about Cooper during his media release on Tuesday, expressing his excitement about his impending arrival while reiterating his confidence in the team's existing options.

“First and foremost, believe in the receivers we already have in the room,” McDermott said. “When Amari gets here, we will see how we can bring him up to speed and integrate him into what we do and how we do things. It's never about a man; We're grateful to have him, but it's never just about one man. It's about the team. We can’t wait to get him on board and get started.”

Related: Why Amari Cooper was a better acquisition for Bills than Davante Adams

Cooper now finds himself at the helm of a receiving corps that also includes third-year pass catcher Khalil Shakir and freshman Keon Coleman, both of whom have shown flashes in the first six games of the season. Both young wideouts should benefit from Cooper's presence, as they will not only be able to keep his brain off the field, but also benefit from the 30-year-old putting defenders on notice.

McDermott continued to talk about the impact the former fourth overall pick will have on the field.

“These qualities are important. . . “The ability to create separation just adds more flavor to our offense,” McDermott said. “We've done some good things and I think that will be an added bonus for us as we move forward here.”

While McDermott is once again excited to see what Cooper will bring to One Bills Drive, he warned of the dangers of viewing each acquisition as a single beacon of hope. He is confident that Cooper will be a valuable addition to the field, just as he was at his three previous professional stops; However, McDermott says his individual impact on the field is less important compared to how he meshes with and benefits the larger team.

“Anytime you feel like you're improving as a football team, I would say yes (there's excitement), but on paper that's one thing,” McDermott said. “At the end of the day, can the person playing help us? That's exactly what we want to see in the next few days. I would hope the answer to all of this is “yes.” We're going up against Amari and we have a lot of respect for him and his game, but again we have players in the team that we already trust and he will fit into that equation and we will integrate him.

“It’s exciting to see how quickly he gets up to speed here. A player doesn't save a team, a player doesn't make a team. It's about the team. Sometimes, honestly, you bring a player with you and that can sometimes get in the way. I'm not saying that in this case, but you get into a rhythm. Whenever you trade a player, especially in the middle of the season, it's about getting him up to speed and then getting him into the rhythm that the team was already in. I’m excited to do that and bring him on board here.”

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