Bills acquire WR Amari Cooper from Browns in trade

Another AFC East team has signed a big-name wide receiver.

The Buffalo Bills are acquiring wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns, Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports first reported Tuesday. The Browns will receive a third-round pick in 2025 and a seventh-round pick in 2026 as part of the deal, while the Bills will also receive a sixth-round draft pick in 2025, the teams confirmed.

Cooper has recorded 24 receptions for 250 yards and two touchdowns in six games in his third season with the Browns. He had 72 receptions for 1,250 yards and five touchdowns. This is also the third time Cooper has been substituted in his career and the second time he has been substituted mid-season. Cooper was the Raiders’ fourth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and made two Pro Bowls in his first two seasons in silver and black before being traded midseason to the Dallas Cowboys in 2018. Cooper made the Cowboys to the playoffs.

Cooper spent three more seasons in Dallas, developing into one of Dak Prescott’s most reliable pass catchers, before being traded to the Cleveland Browns prior to the 2022 season. He made the Pro Bowl again in 2023, the fifth win of his career, and was a driving force in Cleveland’s unlikely run to the playoffs behind backup quarterback Joe Flacco.

However, the Browns have struggled greatly this season due to the poor performance of starting quarterback Deshaun Watson. Cooper has 24 catches on 53 targets for 250 yards and two touchdowns, both in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. He has been limited to 12 catches for 137 yards in his last three appearances.

When it was reported earlier this season that Cooper might be traded to the 49ers in exchange for Brandon Aiyuk before the latter resolved his contract dispute with San Francisco, Cooper seemingly responded in an Instagram post by saying, “I wouldn’t have minded at all.” .” .”

In Buffalo, he joins a Josh Allen-led offense that demonstrably lacked a receiving threat after the team traded Stefon Diggs to Houston in the offseason and lost No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis in free agency. After the Bills acquired Cooper, they released Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who had just two catches for 26 yards in six games.

This is the second major wide receiver trade in the NFL on Tuesday. The New York Jets had previously acquired receiver Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders.

(Davante Adams Trade Roundtable: Who won the deal?)

The Associated Press contributed to this report.