How did the Bills land Amari Cooper? Revisit how Buffalo acquired $20 million WR

The Buffalo Bills entered this season with less expectations than in recent years. Key names like receiver Stefon Diggs were no longer on the roster, and most expected a slight decline from the previous season. However, the team has persevered with quarterback Josh Allen turning in an MVP-caliber performance. At some point, management realized that some help could be crucial to making a deep playoff run.

That’s how the Amari Cooper trade came about, and the Bills found themselves with a star receiver for their alien quarterback. Looking back, how did the deal with Cooper come about and how has it affected both sides?

Detailed Amari Cooper trade from the Cleveland Browns to the Buffalo Bills

At the time of the trade, the Bills were in a bit of a crisis. After starting the year hot, they fell behind, losing two of their last three while averaging under 18 points per game. match. James Cook was still generating at an efficient pace, the wide receiver space was lacking and holding the offense back.

That’s why the trade for Cooper was necessary. After the deal was made, Buffalo immediately went on an eight-game streak of scoring 30 or more points, the longest such streak in NFL history. Although unavailable for the first two games, Cooper added valuable reinforcement for the second half of the season.

In exchange for Cooper and a sixth-round pick, the Bills gave up a third-round pick and another seventh-round pick in 2026. In hindsight, the move looks like a solid one for Buffalo. Cooper’s new team finished 13-4 with the No. 2 seed in the AFC.

Why did the Browns trade Cooper?

Cleveland was reportedly willing to include Cooper in a trade for San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk earlier this summer. While that deal never materialized, Browns general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski at least considered the idea before sending Cooper elsewhere.

At the time of the trade, the Browns were 1-5 after losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6. While all but one of their losses came by a single score, Cleveland had just one win, a close 18-13 win over the Jaguars in Week 2 .

Deshaun Watson finished 39th out of 39 qualified passers in PFN’s QB+ metric. The Browns scored just 15.2 points per game, which was dead last in the NFL.

Cleveland isn’t going anywhere fast, with Cooper scheduled to become a free agent in 2025. With little hope of getting him back, the Browns decided to get something for Cooper now instead of waiting for a potential compensatory pick in 2026.

Cooper’s influence on the Bills

In terms of raw numbers, Cooper hasn’t made much of a difference for the Bills. This was the worst year of his career — he failed to reach 600 yards after breaking 1,200 in 2023. But his impact meant more to Buffalo’s offense than the stat sheet suggests

First, he gave the Bills a ton of versatility on offense. Cooper can consistently move the sticks with his ability to separate, and the attention that received opened up the Bills’ utility weapons.

Although he totaled just 297 yards and two touchdowns in eight games, he helped Allen finish as the third-best quarterback in the league, according to PFN’s QB+ metric. Additionally, after their midseason games, Buffalo finished with the fourth-best offense in the league according to PFN’s Offense+ metric.

There is still time to make an even bigger impact. For the Bills, contending for a playoff spot was never a realistic concern. Instead, for a team that has always been the bridesmaid, Cooper gave Buffalo a dynamic threat to help a Super Bowl run.

Cooper was anything but a no-show in the Wild Card round, catching just two passes for eight yards. In the end, the Bills destroyed the Denver Broncos 31-7 anyway. When they take on the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round, it will require Cooper to be at his best.

Cooper’s performance in the coming weeks could determine how fans reflect on his profession.