How Amari Cooper's latest contract could impact 2025 free agency
By Ryan Heckman
On Tuesday afternoon, it was confirmed that the Cleveland Browns and wide receiver Amari Cooper had come to an agreement on a new deal which would allow the star wideout to be present and without distraction for the remainder of training camp and the coming season.
Cooper would get all $20 million of his 2024 salary guaranteed, plus an additional $5 million.
Just over a month or so ago, Cooper's contract officially became a problem, as he wanted a new deal with so many of his peers receiving hefty pay raises.
Now, Cooper will play out the 2024 season with a pay raise of his own, before he is set to hit free agency in 2025. The fact the Browns were able to get a deal done is surely positive, but that won't do much in terms of helping Cleveland next year.
The Browns could have quite the wide receiver transformation in 2025
Here is a list, Cooper included, of Browns receivers who will hit free agency in 2025:
Amari Cooper
Elijah Moore
James Proche
Jaelon Darden
Jalen Camp
Matt Landers
Additionally, the Browns will have David Bell entering the final year of his contract (and have also yet to see him break out).
After 2024, the only "established" name this team could have in the wide receiver room is Jerry Jeudy, whom the Browns took a chance on this offseason, via trade and immediate extension. They drafted Jamari Thrash in the fifth round of this year's draft, and we'll see how that pick pans out.
Cedric Tillman is entering his second year, and hopefully Cleveland sees a jump from the former Tennessee product. Otherwise, the wide receiver depth chart very well could look like that of a very, very desperate room.
If Cooper does not return on a new deal next year, the Browns could be in for an overhaul. Between Jeudy, Tillman and Thrash, Cleveland has a young, budding trio ... in a perfect world. But, what we know about the Browns and young wide receivers is that, well, they don't know much about developing or drafting them as of late.
Cleveland could go into free agency with an aggressive mindset if Cooper winds up elsewhere. Some of the top names that are currently set to be a free agent in 2025:
CeeDee Lamb
Tee Higgins
Keenan Allen
Brandon Aiyuk
Stefon Diggs
Brandin Cooks
Diontae Johnson
DeAndre Hopkins
Mike Williams
Marquise Brown
Either the Browns and Cooper soften toward one another and are able to figure out a way to keep him in Cleveland, or the organization should already be thinking about their offseason strategy in pursuing at least one of the above names in the free agent pool.