Trade: [BUF/CLE] Amari Cooper and 2025 6th for 2025 3rd and 2026 7th

StreetHawk

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Sep 30, 2017
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Also a lower cap hit to Buffalo as he converted $18 mill of base salary into a bonus in the off season so he cost under $100k per game vs the cap for his base salary.

Also does not have the WR diva attitude of some. Not as explosive but a pretty reliable WR and good route runner.
 

hatterson

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No real downside here for Bills

He is upgrade and they essentially gave up only a 3rd as real value
Yea, basically zero cap hit, no commitment beyond this year, and he's a clear upgrade to what they have even if he's not a true top end #1.

The Bills also have an extra 2nd round pick from the Diggs trade, so even more ability to afford to spend a third.
 

StreetHawk

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Yea, basically zero cap hit, no commitment beyond this year, and he's a clear upgrade to what they have even if he's not a true top end #1.

The Bills also have an extra 2nd round pick from the Diggs trade, so even more ability to afford to spend a third.
Plus, he's in the final year of his contract, meaning if he walks, Buffalo is eligible to potentially get a comp pick for him in 2026 draft (depending on whether they sign players to net that off or not).
 
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hatterson

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Cooper has had a bad season so far even on the few catchable balls he's received, but I bet he has a great season the rest of the way.
Yea he's been pretty bad, but it's also not shocking.

He wanted out, wasn't getting traded, and had an absolute tire fire of a QB and overall situation around him.

Biggest issue so far has been his drops, and he never had an issue with drops in Dallas or Oakland, just his first year in Cleveland and then this year.
 

Troy McClure

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Yea he's been pretty bad, but it's also not shocking.

He wanted out, wasn't getting traded, and had an absolute tire fire of a QB and overall situation around him.

Biggest issue so far has been his drops, and he never had an issue with drops in Dallas or Oakland, just his first year in Cleveland and then this year.
It's what made him frustrating. He wasn't getting many chances because Watson sucks but was then flubbing many of the few he got.
 

StreetHawk

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Have to wonder about the Browns roster. Garrett, per his contract has very low base salaries for 2025 and 2026. With the bulk of the compensation as an Option at $20 mill in 2025 and $25 mill in 2026. Both would become guaranteed by the 5th day of the league year in 2025 and 2026, so late March.

Still $36 mill of dead cap if he's gone before 2025 year. Between what they have for Cooper, still owe Watson and what they pushed for Watson, and adding Garrett, it doesn't look good for Cleveland. It was basically an all in move with Watson for 3 maybe 4 seasons to contend.
 

GIADF

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Have to wonder about the Browns roster. Garrett, per his contract has very low base salaries for 2025 and 2026. With the bulk of the compensation as an Option at $20 mill in 2025 and $25 mill in 2026. Both would become guaranteed by the 5th day of the league year in 2025 and 2026, so late March.

Still $36 mill of dead cap if he's gone before 2025 year. Between what they have for Cooper, still owe Watson and what they pushed for Watson, and adding Garrett, it doesn't look good for Cleveland. It was basically an all in move with Watson for 3 maybe 4 seasons to contend.

Any guesses to what type of package it would take for a team to lure Garrett away from Cleveland?
 

StreetHawk

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Any guesses to what type of package it would take for a team to lure Garrett away from Cleveland?
Hard to guess. Mack going into his 5th year option returned 2 firsts but that was also offset with 2’s and 3’s changing between raiders and bears.

Mack was a RS SR so age was 23 in his draft year. So 4 years in would have been 27 in the year traded. Garrett was a true JR and turns 29 in Dec.

Best guess since both needed big new deals is a first and something. Likely a 2nd as well. But hard to really say. Or 2 firsts netted off with like a 3rd going with Garrett. Cause new team is paying him $28 mill or more per season after this year he likely asks to redo his deal to have 2025 and 2026 fully guaranteed with an increase.
 
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Dr Salt

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I wonder if a fire sale is looming in Cleveland soon. Even if its in the offseason, might as well start clean over.
 

StreetHawk

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They can’t really. They’re tied to Watson
They’d be waiving the white flag for 2 seasons if they did at a minimum.
Watson has $160 mill or so of cap charges that still need to hit the Browns books.
Cooper’s dead cap is $22.5 mill. Garrett is done his guaranteed money this season. But he still has $36 mill of dead cap pending after this season.

It gets really ugly for the browns. Ward’s $13.5 mill salary for 2025 is guaranteed but if another team would take him, then that drops the browns dead cap for him to like $29 mill.

But with Garrett, elite guys who no longer have guaranteed money typically ask for it in the offseason. So that could be a reason to move him. He wouldn’t be a cut candidate like Adams but he isn’t likely to be doing the offseason program without guaranteed money. Though his 2025 option does guarantee within a week of the 2025 season in March 2025.
 

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