Ex-Bills WR Predicted to Land in NFC West After Long Free Agency Wait

With training camps just a few weeks away, former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper is still waiting on his next NFL home.

Cooper hit free agency after spending the last half of the 2024 season with the Bills, with no apparent frontrunner on where the former Pro Bowler could land next. While the Bills have kept the door open for Cooper to return in free agency, one analyst believes he will make his way to the NFC West to give a boost to a team in need of some help on offense.

Amari Cooper Could Head Out West

ESPN’s Aaron Schatz published a list of one final offseason move for all 32 NFL teams, suggesting the Arizona Cardinals could sign Cooper. Schatz noted that Cooper would add some key depth to their wide receiving corps, a weak point for a team that tended to the top of their depth chart in last year’s NFL draft.

“The Cardinals have a strong set of young wide receivers with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson, but the depth past that is questionable,” Schatz wrote. “Greg Dortch is a useful slot receiver, yet he’s not an outside starter if Harrison or Wilson go down. Zay Jones has wrestled with injuries for two seasons and caught only eight passes for 84 yards in 2024. Simi Fehoko has 10 career catches at the age of 28.”

Schatz suggested that Cooper could serve as a primary target if needed, despite some up-and-down performances with the Bills in 2024.

“The Cardinals could use a veteran who can come in for Harrison and Wilson when both need to rest or if either of them is injured,” Schatz wrote. “The best outside receiver still on the market is Cooper, who spent last season with Cleveland and Buffalo.”

The Bills added Cooper at the trade deadline last season but he had spotty performances, making 20 receptions for 297 yards and two touchdowns.

Bills Open to Bringing Cooper Back

Bills general manager Brandon Beane said the team would be open to the idea of re-signing Cooper, but that was several weeks ago and there is no apparent progress toward a deal. While the Bills could be waiting until closer to training camp to assess their depth at wide receiver, another NFL insider suggested there could be looming issues for Cooper.

Matthew Berry of NBC Sports noted at the NFL combine that there are major concerns about Cooper’s athleticism.

“Amari is done,” Berry said. “That’s not me talking. That’s from an offensive coach of a former team of his I spoke to at the combine.”

The Bills have already brought in some veteran help at wide receiver, signing Elijah Moore and Joshua Palmer while adding receiver and return specialist Lavishka Shenault Jr. That could make it difficult for the team to bring back Cooper, though he could play a role on the practice squad if there aren’t any other interested teams. The Bills under Beane have had a knack for stashing veteran wide receiver talent on their practice squad as insurance in case of injuries.