New Bills WR expected to play in Week 7; team was ‘very aggressive’ in its pursuit

Davante Adams was dealt to the Jets earlier this week, but that AFC East wideout acquisition was soon followed up by the Bills landing
Amari Cooper. Further details have emerged on the latter swap.

Buffalo was one of several suitors for Adams, who represented the top trade target among receivers. The price for adding the three-time All-Pro was dictated in large part by Vegas’ desire to avoid retaining any of his salary. That wound up being the case, something that took the Bills out of the running to seriously pursue a deal.

“My gut was [the Raiders] were never interested in eating money, which they didn’t,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane confirmed when speaking about Adams’ trade market, via Ryan O’Halloran of the Buffalo News. “If they were interested in doing that, they probably could have gotten some more from us or somebody else.”

With the Bills never truly being a contender to acquire Adams, attention turned to Cooper. As Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes, Beane and Co. touched base with the Browns before further conversations on a trade took place Monday. That agreement (which saw Buffalo land Cooper and a sixth-round pick this year for a third-rounder and a seventh-round selection in 2026) was worked out one day later, a sign of how smoothly negotiations progressed.

Cooper stated he did not expect to be dealt, and Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports notes the Browns were not actively shopping him prior to the agreement being reached. Rather, it was Buffalo’s “very aggressive” efforts to land Cooper that got the deal done. Indeed, Underdog Fantasy’s James Palmer notes the Browns got a higher trade price than they expected. He adds, however, that Cleveland did not view the five-time Pro Bowler as living up to the team’s standards through the opening portion of the season.

Cooper’s 41.7 yards per game in 2024 is the lowest mark of his career, a result of the Browns’ struggling offense but also a potential sign of decline. The 30-year-old will nevertheless be expected to handle a heavy workload early on in his Buffalo tenure, given the lack of experienced pass-catchers on the Bills offense. After the team traded away
Stefon Diggs and allowed Gabe Davis to depart in free agency, Cooper has the potential to command a notable target share with his latest team. Acclimating to the Bills’ playbook will take time, but no waiting period should be expected.

Head coach Sean McDermott said he expects Cooper to suit up against the Titans on Sunday, via The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia. A full workload days after being dealt may not be realistic, but he will be positioned to contribute right away on a team once again looking to make a deep run among the AFC’s contenders.

This article first appeared on Pro Football Rumors and was syndicated with permission.