The compensation for Amari Cooper is fantastic but the cost is too high

The Cleveland Browns landed Amari Cooper in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cleveland Browns have pulled off a heist of epic proportions, trading with the Dallas Cowboys and giving up nothing more than a fifth and a sixth-round pick to land Amari Cooper. The trade came out of nowhere and was seen as a near impossibility due to the size of Cooper’s contract. Cooper still has three years, and $60 million left on his contract, which comes out to $20 million per year. Including in 2022.

The Browns landing of Cooper was the right move, and clearly, there were people willing to trade for him, and his deal, otherwise the Browns would’ve just waited until he’s been released. Now, it’s early, but according to Spotrac, Cooper has zero guaranteed money after the trade and that’s where the Browns need to rectify one big issue with this trade.

Cooper isn’t worth $20 million. Getting Cooper was the right move. It honestly was, and if you draft Chris Olave or Garrett Wilson to put across from him, then this offense and its quarterback will have no more excuses. That’s the route they should go, ideally.

But they need to re-work Cooper’s $20 million a year figure because the Browns can’t keep over-paying guys who don’t produce. I was a big proponent for acquiring Cooper, assuming he was a free agent and came in at a reduced rate.

Amari Cooper and the Cleveland Browns need to re-work the contract.

If what Spotrac is reporting on his contract is true, and I have little reason to doubt that it is, then the Browns should dangle the idea of guaranteed money for him to re-work his cap figure. As of right now, Cooper could be released by the Browns and the Browns won’t owe him a thing. Allegedly.

Use this as leverage, give him a three-year, $45 million offer (tops) and guarantee $30 million. It seems unlikely, barring injury, that Cooper can’t produce to the same level as a healthy Jarvis Landry, so that’d be a fair number.

The Browns have to replace Jadeveon Clowney, acquire two defensive ends, and they just tweeted out that they’re looking at linebackers ahead of free agency, so who knows how much they’re willing to spend there.

The Cleveland Browns are $3 million in the red after the move according to Spotrac, so there’s no doubt about it, the Browns have to re-work Cooper’s deal. That’s really not up for debate if they’re going to keep most of their core intact.