The Bills Trade for Amari Cooper
All of the attention was on Davante Adams and the Bills “monitoring” the situation over the last week before seeing the Jets finalize a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders this morning. At some point in the last 24 hours, the Bills changed course, or quite possibly went in the direction they had been going all along, and made a deal with the Cleveland Browns today for wide receiver Amari Cooper.
This trade comes at the perfect time for the Bills. They’re 4-2, coming off a win against a division rival to move into first place, and key players are getting healthy. This is proof that Brandon Beane is recognizing a need on a team with Super Bowl aspirations and pulling the trigger now rather than waiting for the deadline or bartering over the trade compensation. Josh Allen has started the season with ten passing touchdowns and zero interceptions, throwing to a receiver group needing a player of Cooper’s caliber. I believed in the approach to the offense this season and admit it’s not working as I thought it would.
Cause For Excitement
Fans have been asking for this for the last two weeks, and Beane pulled the trigger sooner rather than later. The trade compensation is not much when you factor in that the Bills are only on the hook for the remaining $850k or so of his contract. It also leaves the Bills with some cap room for another move between now and the deadline if they want to add a safety or another offensive weapon.
Bringing in Cooper allows the Bills to slot each receiver down a notch, and he can step into the WR1 role. His route-running ability and separation skills are a great addition to a receiving group that has struggled mightily to get separation in their two losses and, at times, against the Jets. I expect this move will allow the Bills to move Keon Coleman into the slot in certain formations to utilize his size more. Curtis Samuel will also be a benefactor and take advantage of his skill set vs the forced routes we have seen this season. Joe Brady should be second in line to Josh Allen when thanking Brandon Beane today.
Amari Cooper is leaving the dysfunction of the Cleveland Browns and the historically bad quarterback play of Deshaun Watson. Cooper has 24 receptions for 250 yards and two touchdowns on the season. These numbers are leading or tied for the lead amongst Bills’ pass catchers. This move will motivate Cooper to show that he is still capable of being a number-one receiver in the NFL and that he knows that playing with Josh Allen will give him the best opportunity to increase his value and head into free agency at the end of the season.
Season Expectations
The Bills needed to make this move. I believe this will help the offense on the field in production but also help the other receivers learn from a veteran of Cooper’s caliber. I hope that it ensures we do not see another performance like we saw in Baltimore and Houston again but I also don’t expect it to result in Josh Allen averaging 300 passing yards a game and the abandonment of the run game. I am looking forward to Sunday against Tennessee and excited about the addition to the team. Go Bills!
