The Buffalo Bills entered the offseason knowing they were losing Gabriel Davis. Receiver had become a need before the Bills' last snap of the playoffs, and it only got worse when Stefon Diggs forced a trade out of Buffalo. After six games, the Bills clearly needed help at wide receiver. On October 15th, one day removed from the disastrous win over the New York Jets on Monday Night Football, the Bills traded with the Cleveland Browns for WR Amari Cooper.
The Need For Better
In a year where the Buffalo Bills offense had finally figured out that pesky complementary run game, their receivers have not been incredible. Curtis Samuel has struggled in his abstract usage, Dalton Kincaid has become a conventional TE instead of a star, and Mack Hollins failed to bring his hands to the table. The team has a few holes, but none larger than the talent discrepancy that losing their top-two receivers from the past four seasons presents. Khalil Shakir has given the team plenty to work with, but he's only one player, and still isn't at 100% following his injury against the Ravens.
No player but Shakir was able to consistently get open, and even he hasn't done so as often as necessary. Route planning and play-calling by Joe Brady helped to alleviate some pressure there and give Josh Allen semi-safe targets, but they're rare. When defenses show man coverage, no Bills players are beating the cornerbacks one-on-one. The Buffalo offense can survive, and thrive, on the back of Allen, but it's far from sustainable.
What Amari Cooper Offers
Enter: Amari Cooper. In acquiring Cooper, the Bills admit there was a problem. It's something they've proven more than willing to do over the last few seasons with their deadline trades and draft focus on positions of need, but it's still a surprise to see them make a move like this so far before the trade deadline. At the cost of a third-round draft pick with a late pick swap, here's what their gamble buys them.
Amari Cooper is a man coverage beater who can get open within the confines of the Bills offense. His capability to go head-to-head with a defender and beat him, be it with a variety of downfield moves, his understanding of body positioning to the coverage and the sideline, his consistent and discreet late hands, or any other facet of his game, put this offense on another level. He offers Buffalo an outlet that is proven to be a mark above anyone else currently rostered. His exceptional play outside against the boundary add plenty to a Bills room that largely specializes playing inside.
Over his career he's amassed over 10,000 yards receiving, including playoffs, and 64 touchdowns. With seven seasons over 1000 receiving yards and five Pro Bowl appearances, his establishment as a top-tier talent is unquestioned. Now at age 30, Buffalo likely doesn't get prime production, but anything close to that would still be a vast improvement to the receiving core.
His value doesn't end there. With Cooper on the field, the Bills other weapons are able to settle into more defined roles, setting the tendencies they're comfortable in for the remainder of the season. Elevating the players around him by changing the way defenses have to defend Buffalo as a whole is an oft-overlooked contribution.
If Buffalo was a penthouse team with Josh Allen at the helm, then Amari Cooper gives the Bills that rooftop patio; Raised floor and no ceiling.
Why This Makes Sense
Of the available players to Buffalo, Amari Cooper is as ideal a fit as any for the Bills. Some, like Davante Adams, were unavailable to the team, with their hefty contracts, but Cooper's contract restructure this offseason to convert his deal into a guaranteed signing bonus makes his cost to Buffalo only an estimated $1.2m on the year. That fits nicely into their minimal salary cap space, and very nicely into the offense.