The Buffalo Bills offseason has came two weeks too soon, and now they have difficult decisions to make. The first of those decisions is a tough one; What do you do with WR Amari Cooper? Buffalo traded a 3rd-round draft pick to the Cleveland Browns for Cooper midseason, and he made some clutch plays for the Bills. Still, many feel the return on investment was a loss, whilst others feel he added a needed element to the offense.
Amari Cooper is amongst the 12 Unrestricted Free Agents (UFAs) the Bills have to deal with prior to the start of the new league year on March 12th at 4pm. Ideally, the team will get any potential extensions done before the 'legal tampering period', or negotiation window, opens at noon on March 10th. Until that point, the only conversations to be had should be between the Bills and potential returning players.
Amari Cooper's 2024 season
An honest look at Cooper's 2024 season is needed to accurately evaluate what he brings to the roster in 2025. When play broke down, or someone had to make a play against consistent man coverage, Amari Cooper gave Josh Allen an outlet. It worked many times, and the return to the well was a welcome visit. From his first catches as a Buffalo Bill to one of the highlights of an MVP season, there was a connection between the QB and his WR.
The numbers don't amaze us, but his 20 catches for 297 yards were meaningful. Still, the numbers don't amaze us because they weren't amazing. The quiet efficiency was enough in the regular season, but he was all but erased in the playoffs.
His total of five targets for four catches and 33 yards was reminiscent of another Bills receiver who let us down in the playoffs. Cooper didn't carry the weight of the season, and he wasn't why Buffalo found themselves on the sofa to start February, but the team needed more. They can still go and get more, but will they keep Amari along the way?
Keeping him
Spotrac projects Amari Cooper to receive a two-year, $28.4m contract this offseason, in line with his current performance and history. It's not an unreasonable estimate. Cooper is unlikely to receive a long-term offer at his current age, without a season of elite production behind him in 2024. Still, he has proven reliable and consistent over the ten seasons of his career. Rarely plagued by injury, and effective against man coverage, his production will be useful to a contender this season.
By keeping Coop, the Buffalo Bills can avoid setting themselves back again in the offseason. Entering free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft without a glaring hole on offense lets them find the best player available instead of shoehorning a draft pick to fill a need. Cooper himself would be more productive with a full offseason under his belt, instead of the half-playbook he was running for most of his 2024 stint.
Letting him walk
It's a difficult place to sit. The decision would already be made for the team if Amari Cooper had produced as they hoped. Losing him does create a hole for the Buffalo Bills in 2025, but it's a hole they had anyway. Even if they keep Coop, there's still a need on the roster for an upgrade at receiver. The production from the unit was balanced in 2024, but no receiver truly lifted the group from the dredges when they needed to.
If the team signs him to an extension, or a new contract, there's no guarantee that he delivers. If Spotrac's projection is accurate, then the team would be committing another $30m to a receiver on a roster that's limited on salary cap space and already paying Curtis Samuel plenty for an unrealized role. Doing the same with Cooper is a risk.
Final decision
Frankly, the Buffalo Bills need to let Amari Cooper walk. It's not personal, Cooper has been a consummate professional and a great teammate by every account. Still, they cannot commit to another receiver financially without the guarantee of long-term production. There are other candidates for return to the roster that could be more suited to an extension, and the team only has so much money to spend. Cooper would be missed, no doubt about it, but Buffalo cannot settle.