Browns Make Amari Cooper-Type Trade, Pitch Swap Day-3 Pick for $60 Million WR
When the Cleveland Browns traded Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys for a fifth-round pick, they pulled off an unprecedented heist. This summer, the team has the opportunity to pull off a similar coup.
The Los Angeles Chargers are forced by financial constraints to let go of wide receiver Mike Williams, a former Clemson University teammate of Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.
On Wednesday, March 6, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com outlined the similarities to the Cooper deal from two years ago and argued why Cleveland should give L.A. a late-round selection for the rights to a contract the Chargers are eager to get rid of.
The Chargers would have $12.46 million in dead cap space on the books if they cut or traded for Williams, but it would be a win-win situation because they would also receive a draft pick from the Browns. The Cowboys were pleased to take a fifth-round pick in exchange for Cooper when the Browns traded for him in 2022 because they wanted to shed his $20 million salary for that season. Maybe the Chargers would select somewhere in the mid-to-late rounds as well.
After that, the Browns extended Cooper’s deal, adding two vacant years, reduced his $20 million base pay for 2022 to $1.12 million, and gave him a sizable check for the restructure bonus. Over the last two seasons, Cooper has emerged as one of the NFL’s top receivers and one of Berry’s greatest purchases.
Williams, whose basic pay is $17 million and he is entering the final year of his contract, might undergo a similar restructuring with the Browns.
Mike Williams, who suffered an ACL injury in 2023, can be a risk/reward player for the Browns.
If the Chargers are unable to deal Williams, they would probably cut him, which will give Cleveland the opportunity to sign him for less money. That might not work out, though, as Williams has high-end WR2 potential and could be worth a shot for a number of clubs ready to take a chance on the 29-year-old former first-round choice.
“So why wouldn’t the Browns hold out for the Chargers to cut him and instead give up a draft pick?” Cabot composed. The Browns may avoid losing Cooper to a higher bidder by making a trade that keeps him off the open market.
After a stellar season in 2021 that includes 76 receptions (career best), 1,146 yards (career best), and 9 touchdowns, Williams signed a three-year deal for $60 million in March 2022 to stay with the Chargers, according to Pro Football Reference. After that effort, he caught 63 passes for 895 yards and four touchdowns. However, an ACL tear in Week 3 ended his 2023 campaign.
However, given the state of modern sports medicine and Williams’ position as a player approaching 30 years old, there may be a compelling argument for a contract that falls somewhere between a tryout and a legitimate salary for a wide receiver with 31 touchdowns and more than 4,800 receiving yards in 88 career games.
In Year 3, the Browns must invest heavily in talent surrounding Deshaun Watson.
Williams is a particularly intriguing option in Cleveland because of his relationship with Watson, the Browns’ starting quarterback even after Joe Flacco’s strong showing toward the end of the previous year.
Only 12 regular-season games hath Watson played in the previous two seasons; he missed 11 in 2022 because of an NFL suspension and another 11 last year due to a shoulder ailment that necessitated surgery in November to repair.
After trading away three first-round picks and a few additional draft assets to acquire Watson from the Houston Texans in March 2022, Cleveland committed $230 million fully guaranteed in Watson. With Watson back as the team’s starting quarterback in 2023 and their No. 1 defense retaining the most of its core players, this is likely Watson’s make-or-break season in Cleveland. The team also has a real chance to make some noise in the postseason.
Cooper and the tight end Kevin Stefanski is the current NFL Coach of the Year, and David Njoku is coming off Pro Bowl seasons. The only true gaps the Browns need to fill, apart from the uncertainty around them, are at tackle and adding a reliable No. 2 receiver.
As such, when the new league year begins on March 13, filling those two positions on the roster will probably be Cleveland’s top objectives. Williams is an obvious offseason target for the Browns since he provides the organization with a solid upside option at a reasonable price with real ties to Watson.
