The Cleveland Browns have used trades to bolster their roster in recent years, forsaking draft picks, to add players like QB Deshaun Watson and WR Amari Cooper. While they are still stuck with the former for three more years, Cooper is in the final year of his contract. Some believe they could use their top pick—in the second round—to find his long-term replacement.
In addition to Cooper, the Browns have also traded for Elijah Moore and Jerry Jeudy at the wide receiver position. They just added Jeudy last month, and gave him a three-year, $58 million extension, which they may well regret.
Cooper has been productive, but is expensive, has dealt with injuries in Cleveland (despite missing just two games), and turns 30 in June. Meanwhile, the Browns have had no success drafting receivers with Cedric Tillman, David Bell, and Anthony Schwartz in recent years.
Jake Trotter for ESPN writes that the Browns have no “obvious No. 1 heir apparent to Cooper”. He questions whether the team will sign him to an extension before his current contract runs out. After all, they already invested in Jeudy, and they have one of the most expensive rosters in the league.
Turning over the roster with cheap draft picks is now the norm in the NFL. The value of veterans continues to skyrocket commensurate with the salary cap, and Cooper should still command a considerable salary. He’s currently playing out the final year of a five-year, $100 million contract Cleveland inherited from the Dallas Cowboys.
During his two seasons with the Browns, Cooper has caught 150 passes for 2,410 yards and 14 touchdowns. He is the first receiver to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in franchise history and made the Pro Bowl in 2023.
So why would they move arguably their best player on offense, barring a healthy Nick Chubb, after this season? Well, perhaps they question his durability moving forward following his recently bouts with injuries. Perhaps they understand the economics don’t work out with the rest of their roster construction.
And no doubt it’s simply part of the draft process. The wide receiver position is particularly deep this year, even relative to recent years. It seems every year is a deep wide receiver class, but this year goes above and beyond the recent average.
And with no first-round pick thanks to the Watson trade, there’s a very good chance a wide receiver is the best player available at pick 54. By and large, they’ve done a good job filling holes in their roster, so they don’t have any screaming needs. They certainly have some wants, like another linebacker or defensive lineman. But you’re not taking either of those positions in this second round in this class, not with this year’s receivers.
