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Hall of Fame WR says Bills’ acquisition of Amari Cooper was ‘a stroke of genius’

Michael Irvin is even more sold on the Buffalo Bills' acquisition of Amari Cooper now than he was at the time of the trade.

Kyle Silagyi

Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Placing significant stock into small sample sizes can often be dangerous, but it’s difficult not to be encouraged by the early returns of the Buffalo Bills’ recent acquisition of wide receiver Amari Cooper.

The five-time Pro Bowler suited up for the team in their Week 7 clash with the Tennessee Titans, with kickoff taking place less than one week after the veteran made the trek across Interstate 90 from Cleveland to Western New York. He was on a pitch count in the 34-10 win, playing on just 19 snaps; that said, he made the most of his opportunities, reeling in four passes for 66 yards and one touchdown.

His individual impact was obvious, but the effect he had on the larger receiving corps was also discernible; he attracted attention from the Tennessee defense when on the field, something that opened up the game for his fellow pass-catchers. This was reflected on the stat sheet, as four Buffalo targets finished the game with more than 50 passing yards. The team also had their first 100-yard receiver of the season, as rookie Keon Coleman caught four passes for an impressive 125 yards.

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It’s, again, an incredibly small sample size, but it looks as though Cooper is set to have the exact offensive impact that Buffalo’s brass intended upon his acquisition. Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin echoed this sentiment during a recent appearance on Fox Sports’ Speak, stating that Cooper not only helps the Bills this year, but the lessons Buffalo’s young pass-catchers will learn from the veteran’s presence will benefit the team for years to come.

“The more and more I watch this game and watch how this combination is going to work, I thought this was a stroke of genius, even more so than I thought it was [originally],” Irvin said. “Let me tell you why I say this; when I’m watching the personalities on this team now, it fits. It fits with what you’re doing now and what you want to get accomplished later.

“Right now, you get an instant player. An instant player right now to fill the No. 1 role in Amari Cooper, but this is the thing that I pondered on a lot, and even later, what you’re getting also is, what you’re getting later is a great Keon Coleman. How do I get from now to later? I believe that with Amari Cooper there and the way he plays the game and what he brings and the way he plays the game on the inside to help teach Keon Coleman how to become that No. 1. He’s the No. 2, but he’ll become a No. 1. He had over 100 yards [Sunday]. And man, this is going to be great.”

Cooper’s individual impact should, in theory, only grow more pronounced as he further acclimates to Buffalo’s playbook. A pending free agent, it’s possible that the 2024 season is the pass-catcher’s lone in a Bills uniform; that said, the information that players like Coleman, Khalil Shakir, and Dalton Kincaid glean from him will continue to pay dividends moving forward.

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Kyle Silagyi
KYLE SILAGYI

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