The Green Bay Packers have a ton of young talent in the wide receiver room, which inevitably leads to the question of whether they should consolidate by trading for an established star.
That is the premise of a trade proposal suggested by Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report on Wednesday, September 4, in which he pitches a deal with the Cleveland Browns for Amari Cooper.
“There are two scenarios in which Cooper could become available. In the first, the Browns fall out of contention early and look to cash in the five-time Pro Bowler before he hits the open market in 2025 free agency,” Knox wrote. “Cooper would be a solid get for a contender lacking a proven No. 1 receiver, like the Green Bay Packers.”
Cooper, 30, is about to embark on the final season of his current five-year contract worth a total of $100 million.
Amari Cooper Fits With Packers This Year, Potentially Long-Term on Right Contract
Green Bay has nearly $16 million in available salary cap space as of Wednesday, and while Cooper makes an annual average salary of $20 million, Spotrac lists his 2024 cap hit at just $8.75 million.
The money left in the final season of his deal is less of a concern than who the Packers would have to give up to acquire Cooper and whether they believe they could sign him to a multiyear deal with legitimate team value.
Cooper’s market value is north of $22 million annually over a new four-year contract, per Spotrac, though Green Bay probably wouldn’t want to swap inexpensive youth for a pricey player on the wrong side of 30. As such, the Packers and Cooper would need to hash out plans for an extension on the down low before Green Bay and Cleveland could make a trade.
Cooper has surpassed 1,000 yards receiving in each of the past two campaigns and earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2023 after putting up 1,250 yards and 5 TDs on 72 catches. He has also missed just seven of a possible 147 regular-season games over his nine-year career, so the durability has been there on a consistent basis.
All of that is to say that the Packers could get back proven value by trading for Cooper, but they won’t want to give away the farm or pay him north of $20 million annually over multiple seasons considering how NFL players typically age.
Christian Watson Makes Most Sense as Trade Chip in Deal for Amari Cooper
Of the top four options in the Packers receiver room, Christian Watson may actually be the best player to float as a centerpiece in a Cooper trade.
His status as a high second-round pick and explosive playmaker offer the excitement of sky-high upside. However, injury issues across his first couple of seasons make him a precarious player to pay big over the long-term.
Watson has scored 14 total TDs in just 23 games played since joining the league and could stretch the field for quarterback Deshaun Watson in Cleveland’s offense. Meanwhile, Cooper would join the likes of Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed, each of whom caught 8 TD passes last season, and Dontayvion Wicks who added 4 scores of his own.
Even if Cooper doesn’t stick around Green Bay for the long-term, he rounds out the receiver room nicely as a clear No. 1 option for a team with Super Bowl aspirations in 2024. Meanwhile, the Packers would get off Watson before he hits unrestricted free agency in March 2026 and have the trio of Doubs, Reed and Wicks on which to fall back.
