The Cleveland Browns dropped to 1-4 following their Week 5 loss to the Washington Commanders, but that doesn’t mean the team will trade wide receiver Amari Cooper. Originally acquired from the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a fifth-round pick, Cooper has been one of Cleveland’s most consistent offensive players over the past few years. Now entering the final year of his contract, several reporters across the league believe the Browns will ship the 30-year-old wide reciever to the highest bidder.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com is not one of these reporters. According to Cabot, Cleveland is uninterested in an Amari Cooper trade thanks to an offseason contract restructure. The Browns converted a sizable portion of Cooper’s base salary into a signing bonus with void years, and trading him means they’d eat a sizable chunk of dead money. While the financial ramifications of an Amari Cooper trade are true, a deeper dive suggests Cleveland could trade the veteran for the right return.
The Browns tried to include Amari Cooper as part of a Brandon Aiyuk trade during the offseason, which means the team has a plan for life without Cooper. Chances are, Cleveland hoped this report would get out as a way to try and increase the price of an Amari Cooper trade. While Davante Adams is the prize jewel in all trade talks, Cooper is a fine Plan B and should draw interest from the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and New Orleans Saints.
Amari Cooper Trade: Price Could Rise With Browns Unwilling to Sell
The Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints face off on Monday Night Football in a game that could indirectly decide who will trade for Amari Cooper. The Chiefs enter the matchup with a 4-0 record but could just as easily be 1-3. The Chiefs aggressively addressed their wide receiver need with free agent signee Marquise Brown and first-round pick Xavier Worthy joining the promising Rashee Rice. However, with Brown and Rice sidelined indefinitely, Kansas City suddenly needs someone to catch passes from Patrick Mahomes.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said that the Chiefs will monitor the wide receiver trade market, which means Amari Cooper is probably near the top of their radar. Seeing as the Las Vegas Raiders probably won’t trade Davante Adams to their most hated division rivals, Cooper makes perfect sense for this offense. The Chiefs need someone capable of getting open quickly and securing intermdiate passes, and Cooper made a career out of this. Maybe he’s lost a step since his heyday, but he can still be a reliable receiver when he has a better quarterback than Deshaun Watson.
The Saints, meanwhile, could use an Amari Cooper trade to compensate for their battered offensive line. First-round pick Taliese Fuaga is the only reliable starter left standing, and you can’t replace four starters at this stage of the season. What you can do, however, is find a player who can get open before the pass rush has a chance to reach the quarterback. Cooper should excel in that role, and his familiarity with Derek Carr should only help him acclimate to the Big Easy.
Help For Justin Herbert
Las but certainly not least is the Los Angeles Chargers. Fresh off the bye week, Jim Harbaugh’s squad could use some more life in their passing attack. Youngsters Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston are both promising players, but this team could use an experienced veteran who won’t succumb to rookie mistakes. With Justin Herbert battling injury and clearly not at full strength, an Amari Cooper trade could save this offense and increase the odds this team earns a playoff birth in an increasingly-competitive AFC.
Main Photo: Peter Casey – USA Today Sports
