Will Cooper Re-Sign with the Bills in Free Agency?
The Buffalo Bills made a strategic move by trading for wide receiver Amari Cooper to bolster their passing attack during a competitive season. Cooper, an established star, was expected to play a significant role in keeping the team strong through January. However, not all decisions, even when logically sound, lead to success. Buffalo traded a third- and seventh-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for Cooper, but his contributions in the months that followed were underwhelming. His age-30 season marked the least productive of his career, and now, as he heads into free agency in March, it’s uncertain whether the Bills will bring him back.
In ESPN’s free agency preview, fans got an update on Cooper’s offseason. “The Bills have been happy with Cooper, despite lower production compared to his previous years,” said Jeremy Fowler. “He’s been a solid team player in Buffalo, and the Bills are curious about working with him through a full offseason alongside quarterback Josh Allen. While his future is uncertain, a return to Buffalo is still a possibility.”
Bringing Cooper back would make more sense if his price drops after a disappointing year. Expecting him to step into Stefon Diggs’ shoes was always a stretch. Cooper has been a reliable role player in the offense, but Buffalo isn’t aiming to funnel the ball to a single star. With Allen frequently rushing and a wide range of serviceable targets, Cooper’s role has become more about filling a specific function than being a primary weapon. In just eight games, he finished with the eighth-most targets, receptions, and yards, as well as the seventh-most touchdowns among Bills pass-catchers.
“Cooper’s tape is starting to show signs of decline, but he’s still a precise route runner capable of getting open at different levels,” Matt Bowen noted. “In 14 games between the Browns and Bills, Cooper caught 44 passes for 547 yards and four touchdowns. In his nine seasons, he has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards seven times and has 64 career touchdowns.”
While Cooper has the skills to be a polished, man-beating receiver that the Bills can utilize, his age, increasing injuries, and a decline from his prime make him one of the riskier free agent prospects. A comparison to fellow free agent Keenan Allen of the Chicago Bears might provide insight into Cooper’s potential deal. While a return to Buffalo is still on the table, demanding a star receiver’s salary or expecting him to perform at that level could make any signing less rewarding.
