Amari Cooper trade winners, losers: Who won between Bills, Browns?

Posted by Admin October 15, 2024 NFL

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Another AFC East team made a major trade Tuesday with the Buffalo Bills trading for Cleveland Browns‘ leading wide receiver Amari Cooper. The five-time Pro Bowler heads to the fourth team of his NFL career following stints with the Raiders, Cowboys, and Browns.

The news broke hours after the New York Jets traded for Davante Adams as last night’s “Monday Night Football” foes load up for the second half of the NFL season.

This trade could have playoff implications for one of the top teams in the AFC in January. Here are the winners and losers from the Amari Cooper trade:

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WINNERS

Josh Allen

This trade gives Allen a proven outside receiver to group with Buffalo’s youngsters at the position. It may take time for Cooper to integrate fully, but he could become a key part of the offense. Khalil Shakir’s injury over the last few weeks coincided with the Bills‘ worst offensive performances of the season. Allen gets a Pro Bowl-caliber receiver on the outside who can lift the ceiling of the passing game.

Amari Cooper

Cooper is obviously a winner here. He goes from arguably the worst offense in the league (per SumerSports efficiency metrics) to a division leader with playoff aspirations. He swaps one of the worst quarterbacks in the league this season, Deshaun Watson, for MVP candidate Josh Allen. This couldn’t get much better for Cooper after he was involved in trade rumors as far back as August.

Brandon Beane

The Bills’ general manager deserves credit for finding an opportunity to upgrade the roster at a relatively low cost. Buffalo essentially gives up a third-round pick in a draft in which they have an extra second and fourth-round pick and move up on day three. This is a worthwhile deal for what Cooper could give them in a potential playoff run.

Khalil Shakir

Shakir’s become a top receiver in Buffalo this season, but that comes with much more attention from opposing defenses. Cooper at least forces defenses to respect a second Buffalo wide receiver in the passing game, which may open things up for the rest of the pass-catching corps, starting with Shakir.

The New York Jets

How are the Jets winners here? Their deal for Adams didn’t look too different from what the Bills gave up for Cooper. New York gave up a conditional third-round draft pick that may become a second if Adams makes an All-Pro team or is active for the Jets in the AFC championship game or Super Bowl. If those conditions aren’t met, they give up similar draft capital for a better wide receiver.

LOSERS

Kevin Stefanski

Cleveland’s offense is one of the worst in the NFL. Wide receiver Elijah Moore suffered a rib injury against the Eagles and may miss time. Half the offensive line is dealing with injuries. Watson is one of the worst quarterbacks in the league, per Sports Information Solutions (SIS) data. Now their top wideout is out of town. How Stefanski can piece together an NFL offense over the next three weeks before a much-needed bye is a mystery.

Keon Coleman

Keon Coleman has been inconsistent to start his rookie season. He’s caught 12 of his 20 targets for 201 yards and two touchdowns through six games. Cooper’s arrival in Buffalo means he’ll likely see fewer snaps this season on the outside. This could give him time to develop in the long term with less pressure, but for now, it’s a step back.

The Cleveland Browns defense

One year ago, the Browns held a dynamic San Francisco 49ers offense in check en route to a 19-17 win with P.J. Walker as a starting quarterback to move to 3-2. What a difference a year makes. With Cooper gone, the top touchdown scorer on the roster (outside of QB) is safety Rodney McLeod, who had touchdowns on a fumble recovery and blocked field goal. Star pass rusher Myles Garrett and one of the top secondaries in the league now have to play every week, knowing an already struggling offense is objectively worse.

2025 NFL Draft-eligible quarterbacks

Cleveland will finally have a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft for the first time since 2021. If the Browns decide to select a quarterback, that prospect will be dealing with a wide receiver room with Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, and Jamari Thrash on-roster. That’s also with a team currently set to be $4.5 million over the cap, per OverTheCap figures. It’s not exactly a great situation for a young quarterback.

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