If wide receiver Amari Cooper had his way, he would’ve joined the San Francisco 49ers as part of the Brandon Aiyuk trade. The 49ers star wideout has been searching for a new home for quite some time now, and the Browns nearly landed him. According to Matt Maicco of NBC Sports Bay Area, Aiyuk rejected a trade that would’ve sent him to Cleveland in exchange for a second-round pick, Cooper, and a fifth-round pick. Brandon Aiyuk doesn’t want to play for the Browns, and he’s apparently not the only one.
Amari Cooper took to Instagram after the trade news broke and made it clear that he was more than ok with potentially leaving Cleveland. The wide receiver said he “wouldn’t mind at all,” which could lead to teams like the Chargers and Panthers knocking on the door and seeing what they could get.
Amari Cooper’s latest IG story post… pic.twitter.com/gbhj4kB4QP
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) August 10, 2024
Amari Cooper On Instagram: “I Wouldn’t Mind” A Trade
The Los Angeles Chargers need as much help as they can possibly get at the wide receiver position. Second-round pick Ladd McConkey is having a promising camp, but 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston looks just like his rookie self – and that’s not a good thing. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman says he has “major plans” for the TCU product, but it’s hard to think of that as anything more than camp speak. With Justin Herbert likely to be battling through injury all year long, the Chargers should trade for a proven weapon like Amari Cooper.
Even though he’s entering his age-30 season, Cooper still has plenty left in his tank. Despite a rotating quarterback room, the former first-round pick finished the 2023 season with 72 receptions for 1,250 yards and five touchdowns on 128 targets. He’d easily be the best receiver in Los Angeles, and he’s capable of being the top option in a passing attack. Head coach Jim Harbaugh parted ways with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams earlier in the offseason, which implies wide receivers aren’t too important to him. However, perhaps this training camp shifted his opinion and could lead to an Amari Cooper trade.
More Help For the Panthers
Credit where credit is due, the Carolina Panthers are doing everything in their power to support Bryce Young. Despite entering the offseason with limited resources, Carolina rebuilt the offensive line, traded for Diontae Johnson, and used their first-round pick on Xavier Legette. However, there is more work to be done here, as Legette’s slow start to his collegiate career implies he might not hit the ground running as a rookie. The Panthers need a legitimate WR1 to lead this offense, and Amari Cooper could be the ideal trade target.
Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen are fine veterans, but those two don’t have Cooper’s star upside. Recently, quarterbacks like Josh Allen, Tua Tagovailoa, and Jalen Hurts improved dramatically when paired with a star receiver. Now, it’s time to see if Amari Cooper can have the same effect on Bryce Young. If the 2023 first-overall pick still can’t get the job done, then it’ll be time to begin the search anew in 2025.
Main Photo: Bob Donnan – USA Today Sports
