Bills acquire WR Cooper from Browns as AFC East arms race heats up
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ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills' patchwork group of receivers is getting a boost, with the team acquiring Amari Cooper in a trade with the Cleveland Browns, both teams announced on Tuesday.
Buffalo gave up a third-round pick in the 2025 draft as part of the trade that also included a swap of late-round picks. Buffalo also acquired a 2025 sixth-round draft pick and sent Cleveland a 2026 seventh-round pick in a trade, which came a day after the Bills (4-2) expanded their lead atop the AFC East with a 23-20 win over their division rival New York Jets (2-4).
The 30-year-old Cooper is in his 10th season and third in Cleveland, where he and the rest of the offense have struggled under quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Cooper has 24 catches on 53 targets for 250 yards and two touchdowns, both coming in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. He’s been limited to 12 catches for 137 yards in his past three outings.
In Buffalo, he joins a Josh Allen-led offense that lacks proven receiving threat after the team traded Stefon Diggs to Houston in the offseason and lost No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis in free agency. The decision to move on from Diggs and Davis were made as part of the Bills overall bid to fix their payroll and free up salary cap space beyond this season.
Cooper is in the final year of his contract, which he restructured last summer.
Khalil Shakir, the only receiver to return on the roster, leads the team with 20 catches for 249 yards and two touchdowns. The receiver group is rounded out by mostly journeymen in Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins and Marquez Valdez-Scantling and rookie Keon Coleman.
The deal also comes hours after the Jets upgraded their offense by acquiring receiver Davante Adams in a trade with Las Vegas.
“We appreciate Amari’s hard work, professionalism and on-field contributions throughout his two-plus seasons with us,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said. "He created many memorable moments with us and was an integral part of our 2023 playoff team. We wish him the best in Buffalo as he continues his NFL career.”
The Browns’ decision to trade one of their top players could be a sign that the team has given up on a season growing worse by the week. Cleveland (1-5) dropped its fourth straight game following a 20-16 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday.
Acquired by Cleveland in a 2022 trade from the Dallas Cowboys, Cooper had been one of the team’s leaders and best players, gaining more than 1,100 yards receiving the past two seasons.
However, the past few months have been odd for the dependable veteran.
He skipped minicamp in a contract holdout before the Browns re-worked the final year of his contract. Cooper was then the subject of rampant trade rumors — mostly involving San Francisco — before the buzz quieted down in recent weeks. Cooper hasn’t been the same on the field, either, dropping several passes that have contributed to Watson’s struggles.
Cooper opened his career with the Oakland Raiders and has topped 1,000 yards receiving seven times.