Browns roster: Another extension coming soon?

Amari Cooper was acquired as a salary dump, now could see an extension

When the Cleveland Browns acquired WR Amari Cooper from the Dallas Cowboys, Cooper was seen as a salary dump of sorts. At one point, Dallas was reportedly thinking about cutting the talented receiver but the Browns, along with other teams, shared their interest in making a deal for him.

Cleveland acquired Cooper for the cost of a fifth-round pick (and sixth-round pick swap) in the spring of 2022. Since then, the Cowboys have struggled to replace Cooper and he set a Browns record and tied an NFL record in 2023.

With WR Calvin Ridley signing a four-year deal worth almost $97 million, a surprising comparison came when everyone found out that Ridley and Cooper were the same age, went to the same college and never played together there.

Ridley’s deal could be the template for what Cooper is looking for in his next contract. The Browns top pass catcher is set for free agency at the end of this season but GM Andrew Berry could be looking to change that:

“Look, Coop’s a Pro Bowl-caliber receiver,” Berry said. “He’s played really well for us the past two years. He’s a strong presence in the locker room. We love him. So players like that, you want to make sure that you can retain as long as possible and we’ll work through all of that at the appropriate times.”

Berry noted that getting things done early, instead of late, is their philosophy with contract extensions but Cooper turns 30 before this season starts and would have over 8,500 snaps on his legs after a full 2024 season. A lot to take into account while the wide receiver market jumps:

“Probably by Week 1 of the NFL season, the top of that market’s going to be north of $30 million. So as we think of the contract-management space, rather than be reactive to new market dynamics, we try to be proactive. Probably more importantly, when we think about an extension or a signing, we think of where is the market going to be on September 1 as opposed to March 1.”

It is noted that Cooper’s negotiations will take priority after the NFL draft. An extension this year could reduce Cooper’s $23 million cap hit in 2024 and, given the team’s contract structure, stay decently low in 2025 as well.

Do you think the Browns should pay Amari Cooper “top of the market” type money before he hits free agency despite turning 31 years old next year?