Amari Cooper is heading to Cleveland. The Browns are trading for the Cowboys wide receiver, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter), Cleveland is trading 2022 fifth- and sixth-round picks to Dallas for Cooper and a sixth-round pick. Josina Anderson was first with the news (on Twitter) that the two teams were zeroing in on a trade. This move clears $16MM in cap space for the Cowboys while arming the Browns with a Pro Bowl receiver in his prime.
The Jaguars, Dolphins and Jets also pursued Cooper, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Given the modest return the Cowboys are collecting, the other AFC teams’ offers did not appear to impress Dallas. Had the Cowboys cut Cooper, ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini adds he was not expected to garner a similar contract on the open market (Twitter link). This ends a four-season partnership between Cooper and the Cowboys, who traded their 2019 first-round pick to acquire the ex-Raider ahead of the 2018 deadline.
Cooper landed on the trade block this time because of his contract, which calls for $20MM base salaries from 2022-24. That said, none of that money is guaranteed for the Browns, making this a similar arrangement to their previous big-ticket wide receiver trade.
Wideout did not reside especially highly among the Browns’ needs for a bit, but the team could not establish a fit with Odell Beckham Jr., leading to a messy separation. Cleveland’s latest marquee wide receiver trade has proven far less costly. It cost the team a first-round pick and Jabrill Peppers to acquire Beckham in 2019, and the Giants had recently given Beckham a monster extension. The Cowboys handed Cooper a five-year, $100MM deal in 2020 but made it known this week they were planning to move on from him, limiting the compensation.
Despite having been in the NFL since 2015, Cooper is still just 27. His high salary aside, the former Alabama target will be a welcome addition for a Browns team leaning toward — per the bulk of this offseason’s reports — giving Baker Mayfield another opportunity. (That said, the Browns have also been linked to Derek Carr, which is now a bit more interesting with Cooper in the fold.) The Browns ended their season thin at receiver, and Jarvis Landry is not a lock to return. Landry, 29, has fallen off his Pro Bowl pace in recent years, though he did aid the Browns’ playoff push after Beckham’s 2020 ACL tear.
Cooper provided vital assistance to Dak Prescott, with the Cowboys turning their 2018 season around after his midseason arrival. The former No. 5 overall pick is one of the NFL’s best route runners. He topped 1,100 yards in both 2019 and ’20, doing so in the latter year despite Prescott’s early-season injury. Overall, Cooper is 5-for-7 in 1,000-yard seasons. His presence freed up opportunities for CeeDee Lamb and Dalton Schultz last season, but Dallas will go with its cheaper cogs moving forward. The team is also trying to lock down Michael Gallup to a lower-cost extension.
Well played, Browns.
Really? Why do you think so?
Cause they got a pro bowl receiver for a song!! 1 pick fir cooper? Great deal for browns
They needed a receiving option of his caliber and his remaining deal is 3 years $60 million, but they can get out of it super cheaply any time. That for a fifth rounder is a no brained.
I like the move, but Cleveland is going to need to make sure that Brown stays motivated. They are another run first team, even moreso than the Cowboys. Cooper could be a great weapon, but he seems that he has to be motivated to take full advantage.
Common AB W
I wouldn’t give up anything to have to pay for Amari to do nothing for most of the year except for 5 or 6 games
I mean, he scored eight touchdowns in a down year when he missed two games and was fighting for targets with a stacked set of weapons and a QB having an off year. Even when he’s at his worst, he’s worth the remainder of his contract and a fifth rounder.
He’s not even worth 75% of that contract let alone a pick
Did he lose you a bet or something?
No not at all. He just isn’t worth the contract and I said it. Because I don’t think a guy is worth his contract means I have an axe to grind? So because you think he is worth that did he win you a bet or something?
You think he’s not worth 75% of his contract when his remaining contract is like Mike Williams’, but without most of the guarantees.
Yes, Comparing one horrible contract to one really bad doesn’t make the really bad contract not really bad. It just means its not as bad as the horrible one.
Also I forgot Williams’ got 27 or 28 million in that first year. the rest is more than reasonable
Wow…..that’s a big move. Basically just picking up his salary. Giving up a 5 is barely anything for a good WR2.
Trade or sign 1 more (Robinson or DK) and then draft one more in the first round and the browns will have a decent WR room finally.
So you would only call a WR room with Cooper, Metcalf, Garrett Wilson and Peoples Jones decent?
If Mayfield is tasked with getting the ball to them, decent (in terms of production) might be a stretch.
That’s not what he said
Nope. It’s what I said.
Then that has more to do with the quality of the QB then it does the wide receivers. No way that group would be considered just decent
Ughhhhhh…..don’t even need to respond to that lame retort.
Garrett Wilson?
Cleveland won that trade!! Nice move Brownies
They made a trade with the Cowboy brain trust, of course they won…
Wow that’s a great move for the Browns, and a solid move for the Cowboys to get something while unloading that contract. Browns still need a number 2 receiver but this is a great upgrade over a declining Landry.
Everyone “ Declines” with Baker Mayfold
Weird because the year before everyone had a great year. It’s almost like last year was a complete disaster from top to bottom and blaming an injured quarterback alone makes you look like an uninformed hater.
Everyone did not have a great year statistically the year before, they just won games because of Chubb. Saying that makes you sound uninformed. They did not have a single 1000 receiver that year, Landry was closest at 800. Every other receiver on the team had less than 500 yards receiving. Mayfield was 18th in the NFL in passing. That’s hardly a “great year for everyone” like you said Mr. Informed.
An extremely talented player that just doesn’t care as much as he should.
He may kick up the care with 60 mil at risk
He’s overpaid but Cleveland has plenty of cap space, Amari fills a huge need, and they only gave up a 5th rounder. Nice move.
Also, is he overpaid? He and Mike Williams are less than four months apart in age, they’re making about the same over the next three years, and Williams has more than three times as much guaranteed in that time.
Maybe overpaid is the wrong word, but that’s certainly a significant cap hit no matter his relative value, and I like both Cooper and this move for Cleveland. If Cooper performs at his best, this value will certainly be worth the money, so maybe overpaid as a descriptor is slightly high, since he has a chance to be worth it.
As a hopefully objective Steeler fan… outstanding move for the Browns. Talk about filling a need, without giving up too much other than the cost of Cooper’s contract. Well done.
Now the Brown’s just need a decent QB to throw Amari the ball.
Yes, Baker Mayfield doesn’t seem to be the precise home runner hitter who would be a natural fit with Amari Cooper. Mayfield seems to do better with a very flexible do whatever it takes type wide receiver like Jarvis Landry than a timing-based miracle route runner like Cooper (or Beckham).
Wonder if they’ll actually go get Watson now.
Sucks for Cooper
Looks like a win – win, as the Cowboys got a couple of picks for a guy who they were going to cut and the Browns got a player better than anyone else they currently have on the roster.
I’d agree. Wish we could know what the other teams offered though. However, it is basically just one pick (the 5th) since they are swapping 6th.
Enjoy him at home . Brutal on road and will drop easy pass to seal a game
Does this guarantee the Cowboys bringing back Gallup?
I’d say that’s a done deal now
I hope not. Especially with him probably being out most of the upcoming season. I’d rather have Wilson, he seemed to have better chemistry with Dak. Then they can go get a 50/50 ball WR in the draft like Ezukanma or Pickens.
W move for the Browns
That’s a nightmare of a salary for that guy. Stupid Browns brown it up, with their offense, again.
It’s a reasonable salary if he’s healthy and playing like himself, and it’s an easy to dump contract if he’s not.
Just another guy for Baker to not make the most of.
I love this move, and I’m glad they traded for him because even as a Browns fan I can admit there’s no way in hell he would have picked them in free agency.
I don’t expect him to have 1100 yards a year and his numbers in Cleveland will probably look more like his 2021 stats just because they’re more of a run-based offense. But he’s a really good player, even if he’s more of a 1B or a #2 than a true #1 receiver.
Landry is probably on his way out, but a receiver group of Cooper, DPJ, and a rookie (I assume they’ll draft one in the first two or three rounds) isn’t too bad. Without Landry or Cooper, you’re looking at DPJ and Anthony Schwartz — so this is definitely an upgrade.
1100 yards is definitely a possibility. I could see that.
I’m surprised he got traded at all BUT I did say this was the only way it happens. With a low pick. I just didn’t think it would happen.
That’s actually a win win.
Solid receiver for a fifth rounder and dallas gets something instead of cutting.
Taking on a lot of money with this deal, add this to the money being paid at TE will make it harder to add help at DE, DT, additional WRs, etc….
This allows them to take a defensive lineman at 13 in a draft deep with them.
And they can even move up earlier in the 2nd round and get Johan Dotson.
Cowboys are not worried about losing Cooper when they have plenty of weapons even without him. They’ll replenish through another successful draft. Their draft success goes unnoticed by all the seething haters.
It was a good move for both teams especially the Browns. They got a pro bowler in his prime for a 5th round pick, thats a STEAL. The Cowboys have done well with their top end picks but their d line is still a weakness.