Browns to Acquire Cowboys WR Amari Cooper
The Cleveland Browns have reportedly agreed to a trade with the Dallas Cowboys for wide receiver Amari Cooper. In exchange, the Browns send their fifth round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft per ESPN's Adam Schefter. The two teams are swapping sixth round picks.
The Cowboys eat $6 million in guaranteed money but create $14 million in cap space. The Browns will owe Cooper $20 million this season unless they restructure his contract. There are multiple years left on the deal all of which are scheduled to pay out $20 million with no bonuses attached.
The Browns upgrade their wide receiver position, something the team has been intent on doing heading into the offseason.
Browns GM Andrew Berry, a fan of pick swaps, only gives up one pick to make the move, allowing them to pick a player or make another trade later.
The Browns still have a decision to make on wide receiver Jarvis Landry, who is set to earn $16.3 million this year. The team will almost certainly look to further improve the position in free agency as well as the NFL Draft.
This should enable the Cowboys to re-sign Michael Gallup and potentially Cedrick Wilson, which might have been targets for the Browns had they made it to free agency.
Cooper on talent is worth more than what the Browns gave up for him but the Cowboys needed to unload the contract. The Browns might seek to structure the deal differently to reduce the salary burden in exchange for guaranteed money.
As it stands, the Browns could simply dump Cooper after this season without having to pay out any additional money. The two sides will likely wait and see if they want to continue the relationship until after the season
