The obvious Cooper Kupp nightmare trade scenario the Bills have to avoid

The Buffalo Bills made a big splash last week, acquiring Amari Cooper in a trade with the Cleveland Browns. And the five-time Pro Bowler didn't waste any time making an impact with his new team, recording 64 yards on four receptions, the first of which went for a 12-yard touchdown, in Buffalo's 34-10 win over the Tennessee Titans.

Following the acquisition of Cooper, Bills general manager Brandon Beane indicated that the team might not be done making moves ahead of the NFL trade deadline on November 5. And a potential move many are discussing right now is Buffalo adding yet another high-profile wideout: Cooper Kupp.

On Tuesday, Diana Russini of The Athletic reported that the Los Angeles Rams are open to the idea of trading the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year and may even be willing to take on some of Kupp's 2024 salary if the right deal comes along.

Naturally, as the Bills are running away with the AFC East and are clearly in win-now mode, they're being named as a possible destination for just about every player who could possibly be on the block. That's just what goes with being a playoff contender.

But in no way, shape, or form should Buffalo be considering this.

The Bills should have zero interest in trading for Cooper Kupp

Looking only at what the Rams are looking for in return, which is reportedly a second-round pick, the Bills could make this happen, as they have a pair of second-rounders in the 2025 NFL Draft. They've got their own and the one they acquired when they shipped Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans.

One would think LA would want a little additional compensation, and Buffalo could probably throw in one of the receivers they currently have on the roster that would lose touches with Kupp's presence, someone like Mack Hollins or Curtis Samuel.

But here's the thing. Even if the Rams take on some of Kupp's salary this season, he's got cap hits of $29.78 million in 2025 and $27.33 million in 2026. You know what Buffalo doesn't have right now? A ton of cap space.

As it stands now, according to Over The Cap, the Bills only have a little over $2.68 million this year and roughly $10.75 million next year. How's that Von Miller contract working out, Buffalo?

Now, we all know that the salary cap can be manipulated. Cash is moved here, bonuses are moved there, and so on and so forth. But the money actually isn't even the biggest issue at this point.

When Kupp is on the field, he's fantastic, as evidenced by his First-Team All-Pro season in 2021 when he won the receiving Triple Crown with 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. He then, of course, helped the Rams win the Super Bowl, earning MVP honors in the process.

But how have things gone since then? In 2022, he missed nine games. In 2023, he missed five. And he's already missed four this year after sustaining an ankle injury in the Rams' 41-10 loss in Week 2 to the Arizona Cardinals, although it does appear that he'll return Thursday night when LA hosts the Minnesota Vikings.

Again, when Kupp has been on the field this season, he's been great. He caught 14 passes for 110 yards and scored a touchdown in the Rams' season-opening overtime loss to the Detroit Lions and had four catches for 37 yards against Arizona before his injury.

Would Kupp make the Bills a better football team? Of course. Adding him to Josh Allen's list of weapons that already includes Cooper, rookie Keon Coleman, who broke out against the Titans, Khalil Shakir, and tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox, would terrify any opposing defense.

But there's just too much risk here. Kupp has not proven he can stay healthy, and bringing in a guy who makes that much money without knowing if he'll be on the field would just be a bad business move.

If Beane is going to make more trades ahead of the deadline, he needs to be focused on defensive players anyway, as that side of the football is where the Bills need the most help.

The speculation won't stop until Kupp is dealt — if he's dealt at all, that is — but, again, Buffalo needs to stay as far away from this as possible.