The Bills rank 21st in total offense, including 25th in passing offense. They have missed Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, who combined for 152 catches for 1,929 yards and 15 touchdowns.
That’s why they traded for Amari Cooper on Tuesday.
Cooper, now in his 10th season, is averaging 80 receptions for 1,134 yards and seven touchdowns per season.
“I think that remains to be seen [how much Cooper can help], right,” Bills coach Sean McDermott told beat reporters, via video from the team. “He obviously was on a different team up until a couple of hours ago. We want to get him in here and get him up to speed on our terminology and our system and see how he fits in. Like I said, it’s never about one guy. It’s about the team and in this case the offense.”
Cooper is not having his best season, with the Browns ranking 32nd in total offense and 30th in passing offense and in an obvious rebuild. He has not had a 100-yard game since last Christmas Eve when Cooper torched the Texans for 265 yards and two touchdowns.
Still, Cooper’s 24 catches for 250 yards and two touchdowns this season are more than any wideout on the Bills has.
“On paper, it’s one thing,” McDermott said. “At the end of the day, can the person play and help us? That’s really what we’re here to see over the next couple of days. I would hope the answer to all of that is yes. Going up against Amari and having a ton of respect for him and his game, but again, we have players in the building that we are already confident in, and he’ll fit into that equation and we’ll get him integrated and excited to see how quickly he can get up to speed here.
“Again, one player doesn’t save a team. One player doesn’t make a team. It’s about the team.”
The Bills’ top four wideouts, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel and Mack Hollins have combined for 548 receptions for 6,469 yards and 41 touchdowns in their careers. Cooper has 691 receptions for 9,736 yards and 62 touchdowns.
He is a No. 1 receiver.
“Everyone in that room before Amari was here had a slightly different skill set,” McDermott said. “So, now it’s truly and how it’s going to fit into the room and how our system can use Amari’s strengths to make our system better.”