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Nick Veronica is a Buffalo native who joined the News 4 team as the Digital Executive Producer in 2021. He previously worked at NBC Sports and The Buffalo News. You can follow Nick on Facebook, Twitter and Threads. See more of his work here.
Bills trade for WR Amari Cooper, send Browns 3rd-rounder
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Josh Allen has help on the way.
The Buffalo Bills acquired wide receiver Amari Cooper on Tuesday from the Cleveland Browns, the team announced. Veteran wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling was released in a corresponding move.
The addition of Cooper, a five-time Pro Bowler, should help bolster the Bills passing game that has relied on a tight-knit but largely unproven group this season after trading Stefon Diggs.
Bills wide receivers have failed to surpass 100 combined receiving yards in two straight games. Khalil Shakir leads the team with 249 yards on 20 catches and is the only wide receiver to surpass 60 yards in a single game this season. Allen ranks 19th in passing yards through six weeks and 24th in completion percentage.
The full trade includes the Bills sending a third-round pick in this year's draft and a seventh-rounder in 2026. In exchange, the Bills got Cooper and a sixth-rounder this year.
Cooper, 30, was drafted fourth overall by the Raiders in 2015 and has also spent time with the Cowboys and Browns.
Cooper's salary cap hit will be minimal for the Bills this season, according to salary cap website Spotrac. The Browns converted much of his base salary to a signing bonus during the offseason, making him more tradable by minimizing the cap charge the acquiring team would have to take on. The Bills will only be on the hook for paying the prorated portion of his $1.2 million base salary, and he will become a free agent this spring.
This is a developing story, check back for updates