Browns To Acquire WR Amari Cooper From Cowboys
Amari Cooper is heading to Cleveland. The Browns are trading for the Cowboys wide receiver, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter), Cleveland is trading 2022 fifth- and sixth-round picks to Dallas for Cooper and a sixth-round pick. Josina Anderson was first with the news (on Twitter) that the two teams were zeroing in on a trade. This move clears $16MM in cap space for the Cowboys while arming the Browns with a Pro Bowl receiver in his prime.
The Jaguars, Dolphins and Jets also pursued Cooper, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Given the modest return the Cowboys are collecting, the other AFC teams’ offers did not appear to impress Dallas. Had the Cowboys cut Cooper, ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini adds he was not expected to garner a similar contract on the open market (Twitter link). This ends a four-season partnership between Cooper and the Cowboys, who traded their 2019 first-round pick to acquire the ex-Raider ahead of the 2018 deadline.
Cooper landed on the trade block this time because of his contract, which calls for $20MM base salaries from 2022-24. That said, none of that money is guaranteed for the Browns, making this a similar arrangement to their previous big-ticket wide receiver trade.
Wideout did not reside especially highly among the Browns’ needs for a bit, but the team could not establish a fit with Odell Beckham Jr., leading to a messy separation. Cleveland’s latest marquee wide receiver trade has proven far less costly. It cost the team a first-round pick and Jabrill Peppers to acquire Beckham in 2019, and the Giants had recently given Beckham a monster extension. The Cowboys handed Cooper a five-year, $100MM deal in 2020 but made it known this week they were planning to move on from him, limiting the compensation.
Despite having been in the NFL since 2015, Cooper is still just 27. His high salary aside, the former Alabama target will be a welcome addition for a Browns team leaning toward — per the bulk of this offseason’s reports — giving Baker Mayfield another opportunity. (That said, the Browns have also been linked to Derek Carr, which is now a bit more interesting with Cooper in the fold.) The Browns ended their season thin at receiver, and Jarvis Landry is not a lock to return. Landry, 29, has fallen off his Pro Bowl pace in recent years, though he did aid the Browns’ playoff push after Beckham’s 2020 ACL tear.
Cooper provided vital assistance to Dak Prescott, with the Cowboys turning their 2018 season around after his midseason arrival. The former No. 5 overall pick is one of the NFL’s best route runners. He topped 1,100 yards in both 2019 and ’20, doing so in the latter year despite Prescott’s early-season injury. Overall, Cooper is 5-for-7 in 1,000-yard seasons. His presence freed up opportunities for CeeDee Lamb and Dalton Schultz last season, but Dallas will go with its cheaper cogs moving forward. The team is also trying to lock down Michael Gallup to a lower-cost extension.
Cowboys WR Amari Cooper Generating Trade Interest
Amari Cooper may not hit free agency after all. Clarence Hill Jr. of the Dallas Star-Telegram reports (via Twitter) that there is a “real trade market” for the wide receiver. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets that five teams have discussed Cooper’s availability “in a potential trade or release.”
This runs counter to what we heard earlier this week. While the Cowboys were “likely” to release the receiver, they were still hoping to trade him…but there were reports indicating that the Cowboys weren’t receiving a whole lot of interest. One team source cited Cooper’s hefty contract, which runs through 2024 and carries a $22MM cap number for this season, as the main reason why they wouldn’t deal for him.
However, today’s report indicates that teams may be rethinking their stance. Cooper’s contract does provide some year-to-year flexibility; if an organization is wiling to tolerate his $20MM salary in 2022, they could move on from him in 2023 with just a $4MM cap hit to show for it. The receiver inked a five-year, $100MM contract with the Cowboys in 2020.
Teams also might be wary of their ability to attract Cooper if he does indeed hit free agency. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the veteran receiver may want to return home to Miami and play for the Dolphins if the opportunity presents itself. So, if another team has Cooper high on their list, their only option may be to acquire him via trade.
Texans Re-Sign WR Chris Conley
Chris Conley is sticking around Houston. The veteran wideout has agreed to a one-year deal with the Texans, reports Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (via Twitter).
The 29-year-old caught on with the Texans last offseason, and he ended up collecting 22 receptions for 323 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games (10 starts). Conley also saw some time on special teams, garnering the most ST snaps since his rookie campaign.
Following a four-year stint with the Chiefs to start his career, Conley had his best performance with Jacksonville in 2019. He finished that season with career-highs in receptions (47), receiving yards (775), and touchdowns (five).
Conley was one of three Texans wideouts set to his free agency along with Danny Amendola and Chris Moore.
Panthers Restructure OL Pat Elflein’s Contract
While much of the focus in Carolina is on the Panthers’ pursuit of Deshaun Watson, the team continues to open up some additional cap space. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the Panthers have restructured offensive lineman Pat Elflein‘s contract.
[RELATED: Panthers Preparing “Aggressive” Offer For Deshaun Watson]
The front office converted $4.86MM of the player’s 2022 compensation into a signing bonus, creating an additional $2.4MM in cap space. Per Yates, the team is now “closing in” on close to $30MM in cap space.
The Panthers added Elflein on the first day of free agency in 2021, with the lineman inking a three-year, $13.5MM deal. He started all nine of his games during his first season with the organization, but he missed a chunk of the season while dealing with a hamstring issue.
The 27-year-old started his career with the Vikings, starting 43 of his 44 games. He split the 2020 season between the Vikings and the Jets.
Buccaneers Rework Vita Vea’s Contract
The restructures keep coming, and this time it’s the Buccaneers opening up a chunk of cap. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), the Buccaneers have restructured the contract of nose tackle Vita Vea.
[RELATED: Buccaneers Place Franchise Tag On Chris Godwin]
Specifically, the team restructured the veteran’s base salary, opening up $7.64MM worth of cap space. Greg Auman of The Athletic has more details (via Twitter), noting that the organization reduced Vea’s salary from $10.6MM to $1.12MM, leading to the player getting a $9.46MM bonus.
The Buccaneers barely had any breathing room over the cap heading into the offseason, and that was before they slapped wideout Chris Godwin with the franchise tag. The team will surely have more cap-saving transactions, but they’ll still be hard pressed to afford all of their impending free agents, a group that includes Carlton Davis.
Vea has spent his entire four-year career in Tampa Bay, and the former first-round pick signed a four-year, $73MM extension with the Buccaneers back in January. He made his first Pro Bowl in 2021 after finishing with 33 tackles, four sacks, and 12 QB hits.
Saints Restructure CB Marshon Lattimore’s Contract
The Saints entered the offseason with one of the worst cap situations in the NFL, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), the Saints opened up a significant chunk of cap space after restructuring cornerback Marshon Lattimore‘s contract.
Specifically, the team converted Lattimore’s base salary into a signing bonus, opening up a whopping $18.45MM in cap space. Per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football (on Twitter), the Saints are now about $5MM over the cap.
It’s another step forward for the cap-crunched Saints, who previously reworked the deals of defensive ends Cameron Jordan and Tanoh Kpassagnon. The team also restructured Alvin Kamara‘s deal yesterday, opening up another $8MM in space. Once the team manages to get the under the cap, they’ll have some interesting questions to answer, including a resolution on a potential long-term deal for standout safety Marcus Williams.
It hasn’t even been a year since Lattimore signed a lucrative five-year, $97.6MM extension with New Orleans. He earned another Pro Bowl nod (his fourth) in 2021 after finishing with 68 tackles, 19 passes defended, and three interceptions in 16 starts.
Bills Rework P Matt Haack’s Contract
The Bills have reworked their punter’s contract. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter), the Bills have signed Matt Haack to a revised contract.
The deal will reduce Haack’s 2022 salary to $1.135MM, and it will also void the final year of his contract. As a result, the punter will hit free agency next offseason.
According to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic (on Twitter), the Bills also removed the $1MM base salary that would have been guaranteed on March 18. As a result, the Bills can set themselves up for a punting competition if they so desire.
Haack spent the first four seasons of his career with the Dolphins before inking a three-year deal with the Bills last offseason. His averages went down during his first season in Buffalo, as he averaged only 42.9 yards on his punts (with his previous career-low being at 44.5). While he wasn’t called on all that much during the postseason, he did see that average jump to 43.8 yards on four punts.
Panthers Preparing “Aggressive” Offer For Deshaun Watson
As expected, the Panthers will make a run at Deshaun Watson. According to ESPN’s David Newton, the Panthers are planning to make an “aggressive” trade offer for the Texans quarterback.
[RELATED: No Criminal Charges For Deshaun Watson]
Of course, the Panthers’ offer would be contingent on Watson being willing to waive his no-trade clause. When the Panthers tried to negotiate a trade before the trade deadline, they were told that Watson was focused on Miami and wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause for Carolina. However, Newton says the clause isn’t anticipated to be an issue, and The Athletic’s Joseph Person writes that the Dolphins’ decision to close the door on a Watson trade has renewed belief within the Panthers organization that Watson will reconsider his no-trade stance. Person also adds that Panthers owner David Tepper “has arguably been the driving force behind the team’s interest in Watson.”
The Panthers were prepared to make a major push for Watson last year, and after initially backing off after the off-field trouble surfaced, they were believed to have made the Texans an offer. Carolina’s quarterback situation moved Matt Rhule to the edge of a hot seat last year, and the team has not had stability at the position since Cam Newton‘s injuries began to pile up. The Panthers still have Sam Darnold‘s fully guaranteed $18.8MM salary on their payroll, but for a player like Watson, the QB-desperate team likely would not view that as a hindrance.
After yesterday’s update to Deshaun Watson‘s legal situation, it is expected his trade market will intensify very quickly. A number of teams have long been known to be interested in the Pro Bowler, with the Panthers, Buccaneers, Browns, and Seahawks already mentioned as potential suitors. As Person points out on Twitter, there’s be an interesting side-story if both Carolina and Seattle ultimately emerge as preferred destinations: Panthers GM Scott Fitterer would be bidding against his former bosses in Seattle, John Schneider and Pete Carroll.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/10/22
The deadline for teams to extend tender offers to their restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents looms next week. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:
RFAs
Non-tendered:
- Commandeers: QB Kyle Allen
- Cowboys: LB Francis Bernard, OL Mitch Hyatt
- Raiders: FB Alec Ingold
- Rams: LB Troy Reeder
- Ravens: CB Khalil Dorsey
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/10/22
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Buffalo Bills
- Re-signed: WR Jake Kumerow
Detroit Lions
- Re-signed: LB Rashod Berry, C Ryan McCollum
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Brandon Murphy
New York Jets
- Re-signed: S Will Parks
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: DL Kevin Givens, RB JaMycal Hasty, DL Maurice Hurst, OL Colton McKivitz
Tennessee Titans
- Re-signed: LS Morgan Cox
- Released: RB Darrynton Evans