The Cleveland Browns had one of the earliest trades of the season ahead of the trade deadline, sending Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills for a third round pick. At the time, this seemed like a potential overpay for Buffalo. After all, Cooper led the league in dropped passes and just didn't look like himself through the first few weeks of the season with Deshaun Watson throwing him passes.
But, once he landed with the Bills and immediately became a weapon for Josh Allen downfield and in the red zone, it was obvious that third rounder wasn't too bad of a trade off for a certified WR1 for Allen and a Buffalo offense with Super Bowl aspirations. It was a rare win win trade, with the Browns also benefitting by receiving a really good pick in exchange for a player that hadn't done much for them this season.
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Now, looking at all the trades for receivers that have happened since the Cooper trade and the trades that took place around and on the day of the deadline, it seems like Cleveland truly cooked with its Cooper compensation. Here's a list of receivers traded after or around the same time as Cooper and what they were traded for:
1. Mike Williams (from NYJ to PIT) - 2025 5th round pick
2. Jonathan Mingo (from CAR to DAL) - 2025 4th round pick
3. Diontae Johnson (from CAR to BAL) - 2025 5th round pick
4. DeAndre Hopkins (from TEN to KC) - 2025 5th round pick (conveys to 4th if KC goes to SB)
5. Davante Adams (from LAV to NYJ) - 2025 3rd round pick (conveys to 2nd rounder if NYJ makes AFC Championship/Super Bowl or Adams is All-Pro)
The only receiver that received comparable draft compensation for Cooper was Davante Adams. Both receivers have All-Pro ceilings and the ability to act as WR1 for their respective teams. But, both Adams and Cooper had been having pretty subpar seasons prior to joining their new teams. So, in both instances, that 3rd round compensation felt unequal to their actual impact. That didn't stop the Jets or Bills from making the moves, though.
Clearly, Cooper was traded at the perfect time - before the market was truly set for veteran receivers with something still left in the tank and before some other big names like DeAndre Hopkins were traded for for just a fifth round pick. Had Buffalo been given a crystal ball to see that move for Kansas City, they might have held out for him instead of Cooper. Cleveland definitely won that trade for now, and are leaving the trade deadline as a team with one of the best draft pick packages received for a player by the deadline.