Veteran WR Named ‘Perfect’ Fit for Bills as Amari Cooper Replacement

The Buffalo Bills could be losing a pair of key wide receivers as Amari Cooper and Mack Hollins head to free agency after short stays in Buffalo, but one outlet suggests the team could find a veteran replacement.

Hollins played an important role both on offense and special teams while Cooper had an impact, though uneven, after joining the team just before the trade deadline. Pro Football Focus writer Bradley Locker suggested the Bills will “want more firepower on the outside” with the pair potentially leaving, naming veteran Darius Slayton as a potential addition.

Bills Add More Help on the Outside

Locker noted that Cooper and Hollins — along with rookie Keon Coleman — all ranked in the top 41 in terms of average depth of target last year. He noted that Slayton was also on the list, even though he struggled with drops in 2024.

Adding Slayton in free agency could help the Bills maintain a deep threat if they lose one or both of Cooper and Hollins, Locker suggested.

The move may not come cheap, with Locker suggesting the Bills may need to look into some cap-cutting moves to make room for the addition.

“In a top-heavy free-agent receiver class, the 28-year-old Slayton might fetch more than the Bills can afford, as they currently sit around $10 million over the cap,” Locker wrote. “But if the team can pull off some financial maneuvering (by cutting Von Miller, perhaps), adding Slayton would mesh with Josh Allen and the rest of the offense.”

Slayton had been a consistent receiver in his six seasons with the New York Giants, making at least 45 catches and 700 yards in four seasons. He had 21 total touchdowns while averaging 15.0 yards per reception.

Bills Expected to Lose Veteran Receiver

The Bills overhauled their wide receiving corps last offseason, trading top receiver Stefon Diggs and allowing No. 2 Gabe Davis to leave in free agency. The team is expected to undergo more changes this year, though not quite as dramatic.

The Athletic’s Mike Jones predicted that Cooper would leave the Bills for rival Denver Broncos, their opponent in the wild-card round of the playoffs. Jones noted that Cooper never seemed to find the right role in Buffalo.

“With the Bengals taking Tee Higgins off the free-agent market by using the franchise tag on him for a second straight offseason, Cooper is among the best options available,” Jones wrote. “The 30-year-old never seemed to fully settle in with Buffalo after a midseason trade, but he should fit well with Sean Payton’s offense.”

But Cooper has also hinted that winning in the most important aspect, saying in December that he didn’t mind the lack of targets on the Bills as long as the team was winning.

“Obviously, I’m a receiver,” Cooper said, via The Buffalo News. “Every receiver wants the ball. But, I mean, I’m in Year 10. And so, what’s most important to me is winning. And so, I think we definitely have the formula.

“So, I think it’s actually kind of cool, like going from 14 targets to zero targets, and we win, we beat a great team, actually a potential matchup down the road.”