3 teams that could trade for Amari Cooper as he holds out of Browns camp

The Cleveland Browns reported to mandatory minicamp on Tuesday with one notable absence. Veteran wide receiver Amari Cooper wasn't in attendance. Once practice wrapped up, head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed that his absence was unexcused.

Many are connecting the dots between Cooper's absence and his contract status. He enters his third season with the Browns which is also the final year of his current deal, which was signed in 2020 while still with the Dallas Cowboys.

Cleveland might be willing to work on an extension with Cooper, who turns 30 later this month and just put up 1,250 yards in 2023. Then again, after extending Jerry Jeudy, they might not want to pay another wideout. If that's the case, one of these three teams might try and steal Cooper away via trade.

3. Arizona Cardinals

On the heels of a frustrating 4-13 campaign, the Arizona Cardinals look to get back on track in 2024. Kyler Murray is healthy again and they went 3-5 with him under center. That might not sound like much, but considering they were 1-8 without him, it's highly encouraging.

They also have a new wideout for him to work with in Marvin Harrison, Jr. Pairing him with Cooper would give Murray another go-to weapon while also providing their top draft pick a mentor to learn from. With Harrison just entering the league, he won't break the bank. Throw in the $35.527 million in cap space for Arizona and they could afford to add Cooper.

With Michael Wilson and tight end Trey McBride on the roster, this would be the most impressive supporting cast Murray has had in the NFL.

2. Los Angeles Chargers

This offseason, the Los Angeles Chargers traded Keenan Allen and saw Mike Williams leave in free agency. With them out, they’re going to turn to Joshua Palmer, Quentin Johnston, and rookie Ladd McConkey. 

It’s suddenly a young receiving corps with Palmer (24 years of age and entering year three) as the veteran of the group. Johnston, a first-round pick in 2023, had his share of issues as a rookie. He was guilty of a couple of untimely drops and finished with 38 receptions for 431 yards and two touchdowns.

McConkey was a first-round pick out of Georgia this season and offers deep speed and a ton of potential. What this offense needs, is a veteran leader.

Cooper would provide that and could put up monstrous numbers with Justin Herbert throwing him the ball. The Chargers also have the cap space with more than $26 million to make this work.

1. Washington Commanders

Jayden Daniels takes over as the quarterback for the Washington Commanders and Dan Quinn is the new head coach. Quinn added several former Dallas Cowboys to the roster as he looks to rebuild this team — especially on defense.

On offense, Daniels will work with Kliff Kingsbury, who has experience with mobile quarterbacks. They also have a running back in Austin Ekeler who can be deadly through the air and an elite wideout in Terry McLaurin. Jahan Dotson is the current WR2 and while he’s been solid, it might be best for Daniels to have another 1,000-yard pass catcher to work with.

That’s why Cooper would make sense to target. For Washington, this is the time to spend big on skill players. Their quarterback is a rookie, meaning he’s on an affordable contract. Surrounding him with elite playmakers will speed up his development and could help them make a run. 

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