Bills OC talks potential Week 7 status, usage of WR Amari Cooper

Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady is unsure how significant of a role new wide receiver Amari Cooper will have in Week 7.

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The impact that recently acquired wide receiver Amari Cooper will have on the Buffalo Bills’ offense is, in theory, discernible; the unit, helmed by one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks in Josh Allen, was in dire need of a top option, and adding the five-time Pro Bowler gives the team a trusted veteran who is no stranger to logging over 100 targets in any given campaign.

The 30-year-old should be an immensely productive pass-catcher once he’s fully acclimated with his new signal-caller and offensive scheme, but said familiarization is going to take time to come to fruition; though the Buffalo faithful are excited to see the seven-time 1,000-yard wideout play as early as the team’s Week 7 showdown with the Tennessee Titans, it’s perhaps unfair to expect him to have a substantial offensive role just five days after being traded to a new organization.

Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady spoke about this idea during his Tuesday media availability, stating that the significance of Cooper’s role this weekend will come down to how quickly he’s able to commence his adjustment.

Related: Bills HC Sean McDermott talks about impact Amari Cooper will have on WR corps

“We’ll see,” Brady said. “Figure out what time he gets here. Part of the game-planning process and seeing what he can handle, if he can handle anything this week. We’ll just kind of go from there, not set any expectations. Just seeing what he can handle, what he can be comfortable with, what Josh can be comfortable with him. If it’s this week, it’s this week. If it’s next week, it’s next week.”

Brady did not explicitly confirm that he expects Cooper to suit up this weekend, but given the fact that he’s in his 10th professional season (and has been traded mid-season before), one could expect him to be able to handle an at least limited offensive role in Week 7. A significant part of adjusting to the team’s offense is developing a fast rapport with Allen, with Brady telling reporters that time on task is the only way chemistry will be established.

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“There’s no secret recipe, right?” Brady said. “I think it’s just the communication. Going out in practice and making sure you’re staying after and getting some of the reps, learning the body language and kind of, ‘Hey, this is how I see this, tell me how you see this.’ That takes time, right? 

“I know a lot of people think it’s just a simple plug-and-play. At the end of the day, you’re throwing and catching, but there’s a lot more to it. Whenever he gets here, we’ll kind of get the ball rolling. Obviously hoping that there’s progression as the season goes.”

Tennessee quietly boasts the league’s best-passing defense thus far this season, allowing a league-low 137 passing yards per game; given the receiving corps’ recent underwhelming play, Buffalo would likely benefit from Cooper’s presence this weekend, even if in a limited capacity.

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