Browns vs. Amari Cooper: How to Solve Contract Dispute?

Cleveland Browns receiver Amari Cooper wants a contract extension, but general manager Andrew Berry has to weigh multiple factors to resolve this contract situation.

While Cooper has declared he “wants to get paid this year,” the Browns have a lot of moving parts to work around to make that happen If they are going to make that happen.

Let’s start with age. Cooper is now 30, and in the NFL, that is historically when receivers’ production begins to fall off. There is only a handful of receivers who have topped the 1,000-yard receiving mark at 30+ years old a season ago. Mike Evans, Keenan Allen, Stefon Diggs, Davante Adams, Deandre Hopkins and Adam Thielen.

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So, the question then becomes, is Cooper on the level of those receivers. We believe Cooper is still better tan Thielen and Allen, and on the same level as Hopkins and Evans.

Cooper caught 72 passes, from five different quarterbacks, for 1,250 yards. That, in itself, is an incredible feat. In his two years in Cleveland, he’s played with seven different quarterbacks and Cooper has only gotten better.

Another factor the Browns must consider are injuries. Cooper missed the final two games of the season last year with a heel injury. Those are the only two games he’s missed as a member of the Browns. He has only missed six games in his career.

In the NFL, however, staying healthy gets harder the older a player gets.

The biggest thing that Berry and company have to worry about is the salary cap. As it stands right now, the Browns are over the cap the next two seasons. They are over by $43 million in 2025 and $12 million in 2026. Berry is a cap guru, but that’s a lot of money to move around for an aging receiver.

Cooper is currently holding out, and who knows if he will show up to training camp in a few weeks. If the Browns aren’t going to extend his contract, Cleveland could surely get some draft capital in return before the start of the season.

I heard Pittsburgh is still looking for a receiver.