The Cleveland Browns were not expected to have the services of wide receiver Amari Cooper available to them at the start of Training Camp. Cooper was holding out in an attempt to get a new deal. This dragged on for quite some time until the Browns caved and renegotiated the deal in a manner that can only be described as unsatisfactory.
Cooper now has $20 million guaranteed for the 2024 season. This is a number that has not really changed, considering the previous salary figure. The only real new part of his contract is the up to $5 million in incentives he could receive. Even with the new deal, Cooper is still set to become a free agent after the season.
With the minimal changes and the extended stalemate between the two sides, this could have been handled so much better by the Browns. But instead, this is the path they chose to go down. One that still has them having to address the wide receiver position next offseason.
The fact that the Browns could have extended Cooper but didn’t choose to is puzzling. Cooper is the best pass catcher on the team, and that is not up for debate. Rather than reinforce that fact, Cleveland chose to trade for and extend Jerry Jeudy before taking care of Cooper. This was then, and is still now a very odd choice.
Jeudy is nowhere near the caliber of receiver that Cooper is, and there is no doubt that he was miffed by their priorities being out of order. If Cooper decides to leave after this upcoming season, nobody should blame him. The Browns could have worked out a multiyear extension but decided to take this route instead. A route of roster management malpractice.
