There is plenty of gloom and doom surrounding the Cleveland Browns right now between the Deshaun Watson saga and the failed attempts to move Baker Mayfield.
But lost in all that is that pact that the Browns acquired another perennial Pro Bowler in Amari Cooper.
Cooper will fortify a wide receiver corps that has been lacking firepower for a while now.
Cleveland ranked just 20th in points scored, 18th in total yards and 27th in passing yards, and the team seriously needs to improve on those marks if it hopes to make the playoffs for only the second time since the 2002 season.
Cooper can certainly make that happen.
Just want to say thank you Dallas for Amari Cooper. pic.twitter.com/60qMKBAxda
— 𝘿𝙤𝙢🧸 (@BakersBetter) June 13, 2022
In fact, he has arguably been the biggest steal on the trade market this offseason.
The Browns Paid A Fair Price To Get A Very Good Wideout
This has been a wild and crazy offseason that has seen multiple high-level WRs get paid and/or moved.
Davante Adams, perhaps the best in the business, relocated from the Green Bay Packers to the Las Vegas Raiders, while speedster Tyreek Hill will be catching passes from Tua Tagovailoa instead of Patrick Mahomes.
But the Raiders and Miami Dolphins both gave up a good deal of capital in order to get their man.
Las Vegas surrendered a first and second-round pick in this year’s draft for Adams, while the Dolphins had to part with a grand total of five draft picks in this and next year’s draft.
On the other hand, Cleveland only had to trade a fifth and sixth-round pick, and for good measure, it also obtained a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft in the same deal.
The team used that pick to select wide receiver Michael Woods II, who may have some potential as a solid contributor.
Granted, Cooper may not be in the same class as Adams or Hill, but he is certainly on the second tier of NFL wideouts, and he has four Pro Bowl selections to his credit.
Cooper Is Both Good And Experienced
Fans of the NFL certainly know who Cooper is, as he has spent the last three seasons and change with the Dallas Cowboys, the franchise that loves to call itself “America’s Team.”
Before that, he played for a Raiders team that had a young Derek Carr and reached the playoffs in 2016.
Cooper has been to the postseason three times now, including this past season, so he knows at least a little about what it takes to win big games, and if the Browns are fortunate enough to make it to the postseason this year, he won’t be afraid of the pressure.
He has surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in five of his seven pro seasons, and during that time he has scored 46 touchdowns.
The Browns probably haven’t had a wideout this productive since Jarvis Landry at his best, especially since Odell Beckham Jr. didn’t last long before injuring his knee.
If they can survive a likely Watson suspension, they may finally have the weapons to gain some long-awaited respect from the rest of the NFL.
NEXT: Should The Browns Ask For Sam Darnold In A Mayfield Trade?
