Amari Cooper to Chiefs trade proposal: How Super Bowl champions can replace Rashee Rice on the cheap
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper has struggled early on this season in Cleveland. After receiving a signing bonus with the chance to earn an additional $5 million in incentives this season, the Browns recevier who has had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, has struggled.
In Cleveland's first four games of the season, Cooper leads the league in drops with six, though he's only had a drop rate of over 5.5% twice in his career. In four games this season, he's recorded 16 catches on 37 targets for 148 yards, and two touchdowns.
With the Browns holding a 1-3 record and with the struggling Cooper becoming a free agent next offseason, the Browns could look to trade the receiver before the trade deadline to get some value out of him. One possible team that could trade for him is the Kansas City Chiefs, who are getting plagued with offensive injuries.
The Chiefs were already down Marquise "Hollywood" Brown who suffered a shoulder injury that cost him the season. Running back Isiah Pacheco was put on injured reserve after he suffered a fractured fibula in Week 2.
Yesterday, the Chiefs leading receiver, second-year wide receiver Rashee Rice, went down in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers with a knee injury. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes collided into his knee while trying to make a tackle on an interception, and directly hit Rice's knee, causing it to jerk back in pain.
While the Chiefs are awaiting results from MRI's, it's speculated that Rice tore his ACL and will be done for the season. Cooper could be an option for the Chiefs with Rice expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
What would an Amari Cooper trade package look like?
Given that Amari Cooper is on the final year of his current contract and that he is in his 10th season and 30 years old, the Kansas City Chiefs could get Cooper for a bargain.
Cooper is no stranger to getting traded. He's been traded twice in his 10-year career. The first time he was traded, the Dallas Cowboys sent the Oakland Raiders a 2019 first-round pick for Cooper.
When Cooper was traded three years later to the Browns, the Browns only gave up a fifth-round pick and swapped sixth round picks with Dallas. Dallas gave up very little for Cooper becasue at the time, his $20 million per year contract was viewed as an overpay. That's before the wide receiver market was reset.
After being traded to Cleveland, Cooper put together back-to-back 1,000 plus yard receiving seasons. He proved he can still be a legit WR1 with the Browns.
Given that he has been in the league for 10 years and aging, the Chiefs could offer the Browns a mid-round pick (4th/5th-round pick) in return for Cooper. The Browns may try to get more value out of him, but if they want to move on from Cooper before next offseason, they may have to settle with whatever is offered.
Amari Cooper's salary and Chiefs' cap space in the spotlight
Amari Cooper is currently on the last year of his deal. He is set to become a free agent after this season. If the Kansas City Chiefs acquired him, they would possibly sign him to a long-term deal or at least extend him another year.
The Chiefs could decide to do the opposite and let him play out the rest of the year before deciding to extend him. Currently, the Chiefs have $4.9 million in cap space according to overthecap.com. Cooper only has a $1.2 million base salary for this season as he received an $18.79 million signing bonus.
The Chiefs have a little over $27 million in cap space for next season, so they could afford to extend Cooper if they do acquire him.
The NFL trade deadline expires on November 6, a week later from last year.