Bills better off targeting alternative trade option amidst Davante Adams talk

The Buffalo Bills should pursue a WR on the NFL trade market and there's a much more realistic option than Davante Adams.

Ralph Ventre | Oct 2, 2024

Sep 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) misses the ball against the New York Giants during the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Field. / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

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While the rest of the NFL fawns over the idea of the Las Vegas Raiders trading Davante Adams, the Buffalo Bills should look closer to home for some reason wide receiver assistance.

Sure, adding Adams to the Josh Allen-led offense is an exciting proposition, but it doesn't seem realistic.

First, the Bills are salary cap strapped this season and they wouldn't be able to take on Adams at his current salary. Even if they waited until the trade deadline to make the move, Buffalo would still need $8.6 million in cap space according to Spotrac's Mike Ginnitti.

The Bills would need the Raiders to take on almost all of Adams's remaining season salary in order to remain salary cap compliant. Although Buffalo has an extra second-round draft pick and two extra fourth-round selections to dangle as bait, the former All-Pro receiver will likely have a say as to where he winds up.

Rumors suggest that Adams wants to play with a quarterback who he is already familiar with, making the New York Jets' Aaron Rodgers and the New Orleans Saints' Derek Carr two prime candidates.

While there are likely too many hurdles to clear in pursuing Adams, the Bills could provide a jolt to their receiving corps by trading for a highly-accomplished, significantly-cheaper option.

As the Cleveland Browns (1-3) fall further away from contention, veteran Amari Cooper may become available. His price certainly would be no higher than a second-round pick, and even that seems to be a reach. Cleveland acquired Cooper for essentially a fifth-rounder back in 2022.

As the Browns' offensive struggles snowballed, Cooper caught only 5 of 17 receiving targets over the past two games. There doesn't appear to be a positive on-field rapport between the 2015 first-round draft pick and beleaguered quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Cooper is coming off a monster 2023 campaign that helped propel Cleveland into the playoffs. Over 15 regular season starts, the decorated receiver totaled 1,250 yards and five TD receptions. He averaged 17.4 yards per catch.

The well-traveled veteran has accounted for seven 1,000-yard receiving seasons, including five 1,100+ campaigns. Cooper has played 144 career games, amassing 9,634 receiving yards on 683 catches. His route-running skill and ability to separate could pay immediate dividends to a team like the Bills.

If acquired today, Cooper would require less than $1 million in salary cap space according to Spotrac. It seems doable and Bills' genenral manager Brandon Beane would be smart to get it done.

Sep 24, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) pulls in a catch for a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium. / Andrew Nelles-Imagn Images

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