The 1-5 Cleveland Browns waved a white flag this week when they traded No. 1 wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills along with a 2025 sixth-round pick for a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 seventh-round pick.
Cooper and quarterback Deshaun Watson hadn’t been on the same page all year as Cooper caught only 24 of his 53 targets for 250 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but Watson still had plenty to say about the trade.
Tom Withers of The Associated Press shared an excerpt from Watson’s recent press conference, and the QB said he’s sorry to see Cooper get traded but trusts the front office’s plan, adding it’s not a bad message and that he understands the business side of the game.
Deshaun Watson sorry to see Amari Cooper go, trusting in front office plan. Says it's not a bad message, understands "the business." pic.twitter.com/BHlqPIDRf2
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) October 16, 2024
It was tough to justify keeping Cooper given how lackluster his performance had been and how much the Browns’ offense was struggling through six games, which combined with the fact that Cooper is on an expiring contract, it made sense to grab some draft picks for the 30-year-old veteran.
Jerry Jeudy now steps into the role of No. 1 receiver and Elijah Moore presumably becomes the No. 2, and we’ll see if Watson can get the offense to put up better numbers now that Cooper is in Buffalo.
Nick Chubb is also nearing a return from the devastating knee injury he suffered in Week 2 of last season, so the offense can now shift more toward a run-heavy approach if it so chooses.
The Watson/Cooper pairing wasn’t working, and while Watson appears sorry the team made the move, it had to be done.
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