It was time for Amari Cooper to get a change of scenery. He was amidst one of his worst seasons in his NFL career, on one of his worst teams since he was in the NFL and wasting away his final years with a team that is in no position to win right now.
The Cleveland Browns trading Cooper away before the trade deadline was a win-win for both the Browns and the Buffalo Bills. And now Cooper gets a competent quarterback. He’s more than excited about that part too.
“As far as playing with Josh (Allen) I’ve always been fan of his game,” Josina Anderson said Cooper told her over the phone. “I’m sure to see it up close and personal and play alongside him, I’m sure it’s going to be great.”
Cooper is on pace for about 750 yards this season, which would have been his second-lowest since he entered the league. The Browns offense simply couldn’t run through him like it did the two seasons prior when he eclipsed 1,100 passing yards.
He deserves to be with a quarterback that can get him the ball. When Cleveland added him to the wide receiver room, he was a piece that was supposed to help the offense thrive. And while it did have some good moments with Cooper, they went to the playoffs just once and had zero wins.
Why the Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills both won the Amari Cooper trade
This was a balanced trade for both teams. For the Browns, they can start the selling process as their season with high expectations seems to be reaching new lows with each passing week. Cooper is probably the first of what will be a couple more moves left as the Browns prepare for a long end-of-season and offseason.
Cleveland might be in one of the worst positions in the NFL. Not only do they have players who are in their prime and deserve to be on a win-now team, but they also have a quarterback who is grossly overpaid and severely underperforming.
They are forced to play him despite his historically bad play on the field. The excuses have been exhausted and it’s time to admit Deshaun Watson isn’t good. Getting some compensation for an aging wide receiver was the best scenario for the Browns.
And for Buffalo, they get a respectable No. 1 option for Josh Allen to go to again. Things didn’t quite work out with Stefon Diggs and the youthful receivers aren’t what Buffalo needs right now. Cooper is the security blanket Allen needs.
While the Bills haven’t struggled to run the ball, they’re in the bottom half of the NFL in passing offense. By one yard, Cooper is already the leading receiver for the Bills and he hasn’t played a game yet. Imagine what a quarterback that has 10 passing touchdowns and no interceptions is going to do with him.
It will certainly surpass what Watson was able to do with Cooper.