Cleveland Browns: Amari Cooper trade ‘ideal’ scenario

Bleacher Report had an ideal trade scenario listed for every NFL team and for the Cleveland Browns, their plan was to trade for Amari Cooper from Dallas

With the new NFL season set to open in a few weeks, we should be preparing for a flurry of activity. For the Cleveland Browns, this could be a very active period as they might have to say goodbye to some key veterans while also going out to re-tool their wide receiver room.

And that receiving room was the focus for Cleveland in a recent piece from Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report. Ballentine picked one ideal trade scenario for every NFL team and his idea for the Browns was to move on from Jarvis Landry and use that money to make room for Amari Cooper, who they would have to add via trade with the Dallas Cowboys.

Of course, the Cowboys would have to be willing to trade Cooper and Ballentine discusses why they might, saying they could clear $16 million in cap space by trading him (they’re $21 million in the red right now) and he saw a decline in his targets with the rise of CeeDee Lamb in 2021.

"“A swap for Cooper would give the Browns a player capable of posting WR1 numbers. He had three campaigns in a row with more than 1,000 yards until this season when CeeDee Lamb’s rise and three missed games contributed to a dip in output (68 catches, 865 yards and eight touchdowns).” — Ballentine, Bleacher Report"

Trading for Cooper could be costly just in terms of trade and he does have a pretty expensive price tag as well, although it’s hard to say he wouldn’t be a massive upgrade.

Having said that, there will still be those who worry about such a move since the trade for Odell Beckham, Jr. back in 2019 ended up not working out. However, that failure from the past should not stop them from trying to improve now.

Why Amari Cooper would work with the Cleveland Browns

Not only should Cleveland not allow past failures to dictate their future moves but the truth is, Amari Cooper is a much better fit than Beckham was in this offense. While OBJ is a great athlete, he was often accused of “freelancing” or simply not being where he was expected to be.

Some teams have that flexibility where this can work. But this offense run by Kevin Stefanski is all about timing and being where you’re expected to be. Simply put, Baker Mayfield is told to throw to a spot and if the receiver isn’t there on time, it can get ugly — and for Cooper, this is his specialty.

The seven-year veteran is one of the most efficient route-runners in the NFL and his quarterback will always know where he’s going to be. Cooper also has elite speed and has put up multiple 200-yard games in his career.

If this wasn’t enough reason to get excited about such a prospect, look at what he did for Dak Prescott. Back in 2018, fans in Dallas were ready to force Dak out of town. Then, Cooper came in mid-season, and having that elite No. 1 wideout helped turn things around.

So whether it’s sticking with Mayfield or eventually moving on, having Cooper on the roster will help any quarterback make the most of their passes. That makes this an ideal scenario that should be strongly considered.