Getty Cooper Kupp on the field for a 2022 game with Los Angeles.
Outside of the drama surrounding Stefon Diggs, it has been a relatively quiet offseason for the Buffalo Bills.
There were no surprising player releases, no blockbuster trades to speak of and no big free-agent signings akin to last year’s pickup of Von Miller. But one report suggests the team could still have one big move coming that could add firepower to the air attack and help the Bills get over the hump in an increasingly competitive conference.
Bills Predicted to Trade for Cooper Kupp
In a story that ran down a list of potential trades the Bills could still make, Fansided’s Brandon Croce suggested the Bills could target Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp. Croce noted that the Rams already have an older team with a Super Bowl window that could be closed, and blew through a number of assets to build their title-winning team in 2021. Shipping away Kupp could help the team gear up for a rebuild, he wrote.
“If the Rams decide in the season that this isn’t going to be their year, they have two players that would generate a lot of interest and the Buffalo Bills should be interested in both,” Croce wrote.
“The first is wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who was only able to play nine games after dealing with injuries last season. However, the year prior to that he led the league in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947), and receiving touchdowns (16).”
Cooper Kupp has put up INSANE numbers in his last 30 games 🤯
He noted that Kupp likely still has some good years ahead of him, and would give the Bills the slot receiver they’ve been searching for over the course of the last two years. After the departure of Cole Beasley after the 2021 season, the Bills struggled to find a consistent slot receiver last year — to the point that they coaxed Beasley out of retirement in December.
Bills Warned About Going Through With Trade
While adding Kupp could give Buffalo’s passing game a major boost, SI.com’s Drake Toll warned that it could come at a high risk.
“But there is the age factor with Kupp,” he wrote. “Coming off a season that saw him limited due to injury and already with a history of a torn ACL, there’s no guarantee that he’ll be able to stay healthy this season. Should the Rams experience another slide down the standings, it’s not the craziest scenario to imagine them trading their star receiver while his value is still high and go into rebuild mode since the rest of their core is also aging.”
The Bills saw a similar scenario play out last season with Miller, who came with a history of injuries that saw another sad chapter added last year when he tore his ACL in the team’s Thanksgiving Day win over the Detroit Lions. Landing Kupp would also carry a big price tag and create a tricky scenario for a Bills team already tight against the salary cap.
The Bills appear poised to enter training camp with a new look in the wide receiver room. They released veteran Cole Beasley and chose not to bring back free agents Beasley, John Brown, Jamison Crowder and Jake Kumerow. The Bills also made some additions, signing speedy receiver and return specialist Deonte Harty and former Miami Dolphins pass-catcher Trent Sherfield.