Amari Cooper was targeted just eight times in the Cleveland Browns' loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4, a sign of dysfunction from an offense yet to take off. Deshaun Watson has been dealing with a porous O-line, and the Browns' receiving group has suffered as a result.
Cooper, coming off a sensational 2023 season where he tallied 1,250 receiving yards and set a franchise record in one game with 265 yards total versus the Houston Texans, has not looked the part of a star receiver. That, coupled with big question marks around whether the Browns are looking to make a change at either the quarterback position or to its staff, makes Cooper an enticing trade target.
Teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys might be expressing interest in the five-time Pro Bowler at the trade deadline, and the Browns just made it a whole lot easier to part ways with him.
The #Browns converted all but $1.21M of WR Amari Cooper's 2024 salary into signing bonus, making him an extremely affordable trade candidate.
Now: $941,111
Deadline: $605,000
— Spotrac (@spotrac) September 30, 2024
An NFL teams' cap is an ever changing figure, and its one of the more flexible caps in professional sports. Per Spotrac, what the Browns have done with Cooper's contract - turning his salary into signing bonus money - means that he'll be due just $941,111 by any team looking to snag him from Cleveland. By the deadline, that number would go down to just $605,000 owed in cash to the receiver.
Cooper's services are desperately needed by contenders, but could also be utilized in Cleveland. It's mind boggling to think of him being shipped out so early in the year, but with so many injuries already piling up around the league, it's not completely out of the realm of possibility to see him moved for a good return. Teams in desperation mode could offer several late-round picks to make any trade work, especially if a move is the difference between making the postseason or just missing out due to injuries.
Another important fact to keep in mind ahead of this year's trade deadline, which is on Nov. 4, is that the Browns could use draft compensation. While this coming draft will be the first since 2021 where it'll have a first rounder available to them, it wouldn't hurt to shore up its well of picks through a Cooper trade.
So far this season, Cooper has stacked up 148 receiving yards but has yet to hit over 100 yards in a game. That's uncharacteristic for him, as by this time last season he had already recorded a 116 yard outing. Still, the potential is there to plug Cooper into a more refined system elsewhere, and to plug him in alongside a quarterback with better pass protection and more time to actually find him downfield.
