The Cleveland Browns have essentially shifted their focus to 2025 after a surprising trade on Tuesday, sending star receiver Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills.
The trade details are revealing: Cleveland gave up Cooper and a 2026 sixth-round pick in exchange for a 2025 third-rounder and a 2026 seventh-rounder. Even though there are three weeks left before the NFL trade deadline, the Browns seem focused on accumulating future draft picks.
While Cooper had been underperforming, leading the league in drops and contributing to one of the NFL’s worst offenses, he was still Cleveland’s top wideout. The team’s struggles, reflected in their 1-5 record, certainly played a part in the trade, but there were deeper issues. Cooper had sought a contract extension during the offseason, but the Browns were hesitant to offer a long-term, high-value deal to a receiver in his 30s. Tensions escalated when he skipped minicamp in June, but the situation was temporarily smoothed over when the team restructured his contract for 2024.
Despite this, trade rumors surrounding Cooper emerged during training camp, including talks of a swap for San Francisco’s Brandon Aiyuk. While that deal didn’t materialize, Cooper’s departure eventually came, with Cleveland opting to stockpile draft picks rather than acquire a young star receiver.
Although the team’s poor performance makes the trade understandable, the timing caught many by surprise. Despite their struggles, some Browns players believed there was still time to turn the season around, with all division games and many AFC matchups still ahead. The trade likely sends a message to the rest of the team, as offensive changes are being debated, including whether Jameis Winston should replace Deshaun Watson at quarterback.
By trading Cooper, the Browns are signaling that the rest of the 2024 season will be about evaluating the roster—especially Watson and the other receivers, like Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore, and Cedric Tillman. The focus is now on the future, building around a core of players and accumulating as many draft picks as possible. With a first-round pick for the first time in four years, this trade appears to be just the start of the Browns’ long-term rebuilding efforts.
