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After weeks of rumors that Amari Cooper was a trade candidate, the veteran wide receiver will officially be wearing a new uniform for the remainder of the 2024 season.
The Buffalo Bills announced Tuesday that they acquired Cooper and a 2025 sixth-round draft pick from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick and 2026 seventh-round pick.
Through six games this season, Cooper had led the Browns with 24 catches, 250 yards and two touchdowns.
The deal comes after ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on the Oct. 5 episode of SportsCenter that teams around the league could target Cooper as a fallback option if they failed to land star receiver Davante Adams, whom the Las Vegas Raiders traded to the New York Jets just hours before Cleveland and Buffalo completed their deal. In the end, the Bills did enough to convince the Browns to ship him away.
Cooper is in the final year of his contract and is making the veteran minimum of $1.21 million in 2024 after restructuring his deal in July to add four voidable years. He initially held out of mandatory minicamp with Cleveland while he sought a pay raise, and the team rewarded him with an additional $20 million in guarantees.
Cooper is one of the league’s most consistent receivers, having recorded at least 1,000 yards in four of the last five seasons. In 2023, he posted career highs of 1,250 yards and 17.4 yards per catch on 72 receptions with five touchdowns. He broke Cleveland’s single-game franchise record with 265 yards in a Week 16 win over the Houston Texans. The 30-year-old earned his fifth career Pro Bowl selection.
By acquiring Cooper, the Bills are gaining a reliable source of production who should boost their chances of contending for another AFC East title this season.
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