Shortly after the New York Jets acquired Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders, the Buffalo Bills made a splash of their own, trading for Browns WR Amari Cooper.
Catching just 24 of 53 targets for 250 yards and two touchdowns this season for the Browns, Cooper is having the worst season of his pro career and his advanced numbers don’t paint a pretty picture. Nonetheless, the move is considered a net positive for Josh Allen and the Bills, who lead the AFC East at 4-2.
Remember that Buffalo traded away No. 1 wideout Stefon Diggs in the offseason and have been relying on journeymen and unproven wideouts at the position. Cooper’s experience as a Pro Bowl caliber receiver should have a positive impact, specifically when his team needs a big play. Allen has 10 passing touchdowns and no interceptions so far and has also rushed for three more scores, so this move wasn’t exactly required, but shouldn’t be a negative.
Per DraftKings, Buffalo’s Super Bowl (+1200) and AFC title (+550) odds didn’t change, but this move wasn’t thought to be as impactful as Adams’ in New York as far as the AFC East Division title (-500 to -370) is concerned.
Interestingly, FanDuel regarded this as a more significant move, as Buffalo’s Super Bowl odds moved from +1000 to +850 as a result of the trade.
I'm probably more on DraftKings' line of thinking when it comes to this situation, as I don't think Cooper makes a significant positive impact on championship odds at this point of his career.
Only time will tell if Cooper will have an impact on Buffalo’s season-long outlook, but I think something we can all agree on is that the Browns are throwing in the towel already. I can’t wait to fade them and Deshaun Watson throughout the rest of the season.
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