The 2024 NFL season is well underway, but there’s still time to make trades. The Buffalo Bills are seizing the opportunity to make additions, helping Josh Allen with a new weapon that could’ve been targeted by the Kansas City Chiefs to surround Patrick Mahomes with more talent.
On Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the Bills are trading for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper. According to the NFL insider, the deal also sees Buffalo get a sixth round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, with Cleveland receiving a third in 2025 and a seventh-rounder in 2026 as compensation.
Before the Bills made their move, Cooper was mentioned as a potential trade target for the Chiefs. With Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Rashee Rice injured, the 30-year-old was seen as a great fit to potentially help Mahomes.
However, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid sent a clear message to Mahomes and GM Brett Veach that he’s happy with the team’s current options at wide receiver. While he didn’t rule out making additions before the deadline, Reid let everyone know there’s no need to do so.
Amari Cooper in action with the Cleveland Browns.
The Bills did feel like making a move though, regardless of their recent win over the New York Jets on ‘Monday Night Football.’ Buffalo is atop the AFC East with a 4-2 record, yet the team feels its chances of contending for a Super Bowl title increase with this addition for Allen.
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Bills snatch Cooper from Chiefs for a bargain
Selected with the fourth-overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Cooper forged a great reputation during his time with the Raiders to join the Dallas Cowboys in 2018. He left for the Browns in 2022, but a restructured deal signed this offseason made him a reasonable target around the league. Thanks to that agreement in July, Cooper is due only $1.2 million for the rest of the 2024 NFL season.
Reid’s stance on possible trades for Chiefs
Speaking to reporters on Monday, only a day before Cooper was sent to the Bills, Reid left the door open on a possible trade before the deadline. But he also said the Chiefs don’t necessarily need to make move.
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“I think that helped JuJu and his situation coming back in and jumping in. It helped Mecole coming back, but I’m not telling you other guys can’t come in and help out. I don’t think that’s an issue – it’s just going to take them a little bit longer to figure it out and get on the same page with Pat (Mahomes) and all those things that won’t be quite as [seamless] as what you’ve seen with these other guys that have been in it. And I’m not saying that we need to bring anybody else in. You asked the question, I’m answering your question on that,” Reid said.
