Bills’ trade for Amari Cooper gives them something they thought they didn’t need but clearly did

Honestly, it's not very often that you write an article about a perfect trade scenario and then it comes to fruition less than two hours later, but here we are. Sorry to put myself in the article, but that was nuts.

Brandon Beane and the Buffalo Bills pulled off the perfect trade, acquiring wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland received a 2025 3rd-round pick and 2026 7th-round pick, and Buffalo receives Amari Cooper and a 2025 6th-round pick.

Almost the most important aspect of the deal — the Bills are only on the hook for roughly $800K to Cooper for the rest of this season. Here's me speaking this into existence a couple hours before it happened.

I'm not saying I made it happen, but Bills Mafia, you're welcome.

Brandon Beane is swinging for the fences without having to give up much. It's like someone walking up to you and handing you a penny and saying "if you bet on this, you could win a million dollars." So, you put the penny on the bet. If you don't win, you're only out a penny. If you win, you win big.

Amari Cooper is the million dollars in this equation. If it doesn't work out, you lost a 3rd-round pick (and yet somehow still also improved in a late-round pick swap as well). If it does work, you're injecting a veteran wide receiver with a proven track record of success into an offense that could absolutely use the juice.

For my money, that's a bet you make every single time.

Cooper has the potential of being an absolute smash in this offense. " Everybody eats " can still exist, but let's just say that Cooper has a bit of a bigger plate. Cooper is having a down year in a Cleveland offense that looks wildly incompetent with Deshaun Watson at the helm, but over the five years prior, Cooper has been one of the most consistent wide receivers in the league.

Over that span, Cooper averaged 123 targets, 78 receptions, 1,116 yards, and seven touchdowns per season. He's a proven threat with elite route running ability that opposing defenses will have to line their best defender up on.

This will do wonders for the offense. Cooper will create separation and easy throws for Allen, while pulling top coverage away from Khalil Shakir, Dalton Kincaid , and rookie Keon Coleman .

I liked the everybody eats offense early in the season, but the last few weeks have shown that this roster is devoid of separators outside Khalil Shakir. I'm sorry, but Mack Hollins should not be your first read on the goal line. You now have a top-tier perimeter wide receiver to allow Shakir to work the intermediate to underneath routes, restoring order to a passing attack that has desperately needed it.

Coral reefs need sharks, an apex predator, to keep everything in balance. Consider Cooper that stabilizing factor for the Bills.

Related: Buffalo Bills' QB Josh Allen speaks on rookie after phenomenal MNF performance against the Jets

Follow along all season for all the latest Buffalo Bills news. You can also find me on X @JonHelmkamp .