A Look At the Browns’ Chances At Brandon Aiyuk
Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Heading into next week’s training camp, the biggest question mark for the Cleveland Browns is Amari Cooper’s contract situation. Cooper sat out of minicamps looking for an extension, and the longer this goes on, the more his future in Cleveland is in doubt. With rumors that Brandon Aiyuk has officially requested a trade from the San Fransico 49ers, the rumblings have begun.
Remember, over the last two offseasons, Andrew Berry has made a ton of moves at the wide receiver position after moving on from Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. Via trades, he added Elijah Moore in 2023, then Jerry Jeudy in 2024. Moore is in the final year of his rookie deal, and Berry forked out $52.5 million to lock in Jeudy for the next four seasons.
As it stands right now, Cooper, Jeudy, and Moore as the top three receivers with Cedric Tillman as the “next man up” if the Cooper situation isn’t resolved. That group looks well above average in terms of NFL trios, at least on paper, but neither Jeudy nor Moore have shown any real consistency that leaves fans feeling warm and fuzzy.
If Cleveland can’t resolve things with Cooper, is an Aiyuk trade feasible? The short answer is yes. The Haslems have continued to show they are willing to manipulate the cap and spend more money than any other team in the league. It certainly will put some stress on the salary cap down the road, as Aiyuk would demand a massive extension, but to say it can’t be done is a lie.
The thought of adding a guy like Aiyuk, who is coming off his best season with more than 1,300 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, is extremely intriguing. He wouldn’t just be a replacement for Cooper, but an upgrade. Aiyuk is known for his elite route-running tree, but has another gear of speed that Cooper lacks. We’ve also likely not seen the best of Aiyuk, as he’s been in the shadow of an offense that is centered on Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffery.
The biggest hesitation is the compensation and the extension. With only one year left on his deal, the 49ers will lack leverage to demand a high draft pick, but Aiyuk is coming off a phenomenal year and they aren’t in a position where they must trade him.
History suggests Berry would overpay in trade compensation and then be forced to give him a deal where Aiyuk is making $30 million plus per year. So as talented as Aiyuk is and as great of an asset as he would be, Berry probably has too much money and draft capital invested at wide receiver as it is, and making a rash trade like this would be irresponsible.
Because of this, the Cooper contract puzzle must be solved before the start of camp. Cooper is set to make just under $24 million this season, but will become a free agent at the end of the season. While we see some players bet on themselves and push to hit free agency, Cooper has been vocal about wanting an extension, which would secure him money sooner than later, hedging against a down year.
At age 30, Cooper is likely past his prime, but he has been the model of consistency for the Browns over the last two seasons. There is nothing flashy about his game, but his elite route-running skills and strong hands make him every quarterback’s best friend.
The issue with Cooper is that he falls at the bottom end of the elite wide receivers. That doesn’t mean he’s not a phenomenal NFL wide receiver, but it does mean that Berry must be cautious not to pay him $30 million per year like you are seeing Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, and Tyreek Hill get.
Cooper is definitely worth the $24 million per year over a two-year extension, but the fact that a deal hasn’t gotten done suggests that he wants more. Furthermore, Cooper’s trade value will be extremely limited with only one year left on his deal. His cap number is large, so a team vying to win now like the Chiefs or Eagles is likely to struggle to come up with the cap space to make such a move.
Releasing Cooper is also a non-starter. While there would be $20 million in cap savings with a post-June 1 release, Cleveland wouldn’t be eligible for any compensatory picks and would be moving their entire depth chart up a spot. If so, their wide receiver room goes from looking strong to average at best.
The clock is ticking, and Berry needs to get something done and squash this issue. If installing Aiyuk as an immediate succession plan for Cooper isn’t on the table, then Cleveland doesn’t really have a choice but to find a way to get Cooper in uniform as soon as possible. But as long as the two receiver’s futures are in flux, you never can know what might happen.
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