The Minnesota Vikings are 5-0 and watching the rest of the National Football League from the sidelines, this weekend, on their bye. But while players are hanging out with family and friends, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is shopping for possible improvements to the Vikings roster, prior to the November 3 trade deadline.
This team may be undefeated, but they are far from flawless. They needs help on the interior of the offensive line, and there are questions surrounding whether or not Ty Chandler is a good enough 2-punch, behind Aaron Jones. They could use more depth on the defensive line and, maybe, another wide receiver?
Minnesota Vikings linked to former 1st round pick
Former Alabama Crimson Tide superstar and 5x Pro Bowl wide receiver, Amari Cooper, currently plays for the Cleveland Browns, who have gotten off to a disastrous 1-4 start. After their most recent loss Sunday, rumors surrounding a possible Cooper trade started flying around hot and heavy.
Then, on Thursday morning, former NFL player turned TV host and NFL insider, Akbar Gbajabiamila (NFL Network) floated Cooper to the Minnesota Vikings. We haven’t heard a lot of trade deadline rumors yet, but with the Vikings being 5-0 and the deadline just three weeks away, this is probably just the start.
It happened while he and the rest of the GMFB crew were talking about possible landing spots for the 30-year-old former 1st round pick. Clearly, he’s getting his info from somewhere. You can hear his coworkers in the background, “what do you got…?”
“How about the Minnesota Vikings?… They have TJ Hockenson coming back. You start thinking, ‘what could they do, they could add some depth’. Think about what the Kansas City Chiefs have done. They continuously add depth. Someone gets hurt, they get someone else in there.
How about going out and maybe looking for an Amari Cooper, who’s on a struggling Browns team. [Kwesi Adofo-Mensah] was in Cleveland already, has familiarity with Amari Cooper. Now, all of a sudden, you have depth at the wide receiver position.
You’ve got Justin Jefferson, Addison, Amari Cooper, TJ Hockenson. Now, all of a sudden, you’ve got guys who can, when home field advantage comes around, they’re making it deep, deep, deep and potentially winning a Super Bowl”
Akbar Gbajabiamila – Good Morning Football (NFL Network)
Does Amari Cooper make sense in Minnesota?
So, there are a few angles to take on this. In a lot of ways, Cooper does make a lot of sense for the Vikings. They could use a veteran third wide receiver for Sam Darnold to rely on. Jalen Nailor came out of the preseason on fire, but can’t seem to find Darnold’s eye, once he drops down to WR3.
Without a doubt, Cooper would be a huge upgrade to an already elite group of weapons for Darnold and the Vikings offense. Through the first five weeks of the season, Amari Cooper has caught 20 passes (on 47 targets) for 208 yards and 2 touchdowns.
On his career, Cooper is nearing 10,000 total receiving yards (9,694) on his career. He’s also scored 62 total touchdowns. His 8.6 yards per target, during his 10-year NFL career is solid. But in 2024, that number has dropped all the way to 4.4, which tells part of the story on why Cooper wants out of the dogpound.
The longtime NFL vet still has plenty of tread on the tires, and he’s an unrestricted free agent next season, which is why the Browns are looking to move him. He has baggage, though, in the form of a $22.6 million dead cap hit next season.
Would the Minnesota Vikings want to extend Amari Cooper, if they traded for him prior to the deadline? That would depend on cost. Otherwise, the Browns would have to agree to eat a bunch of that dead cap penalty. Would they do that? Probably depends on how many suitors are competing for Cooper’s services.
