After The Adams and Cooper Trades, Who’s Next?

The NFL world got turned upside down following the Monday Night Football game between the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets on October 14, 2024. Both teams struggled mightily, and in the two days following the game, each team went out and made a move for a big-time wide receiver.

What’s next on the NFL trade market, and what do these trades mean for the competitive AFC East? Learn more today.

Reuniting Friends in the Big Apple

In-season trades involving big-named players aren’t all that common in the NFL, but the New York Jets made a move on Tuesday, October 15 that has the potential to reshape the landscape of the AFC when the team acquired disgruntled receiver Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders. Adams spent the first eight years of his career in Green Bay, along with now-Jets QB, Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers and Adams each enjoyed the best years of their career when they were together, and both have struggled to regain their form since Adams was traded to the Raiders in 2022. Rodgers went to the Jets in 2023 but got injured four snaps into his first game, so the 2024 season has largely been his debut.

In the eight years the duo played together, they connected 615 times for 7,517 yards, and an impressive 68 touchdowns.

Adams requested a trade to Las Vegas, largely because he wanted to play with his college roommate, Derek Carr, who was the quarterback for the Raiders at the time. Things didn’t work out for Carr in Vegas, and he signed with the New Orleans Saints ahead of the 2023 season.

The Raiders sent Adams to the Jets for a conditional third-round draft pick in the 2025 Draft that has the potential to convert to a second-round pick based on certain performance metrics.

The Bills Respond

Just a day after the Jets added a wide receiver to the roster, the Bills responded in kind when they acquired disgruntled receiver Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns. In addition to Cooper, the Bills also received a sixth-round draft pick in the upcoming draft in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2025 draft and a seventh-round pick in the 2026 draft.

Things haven’t gone the way that the Browns would have liked this season, as the team sits at 1-5 after a week six loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, There had been rumblings that the Browns may be looking to rebuild the roster, and moving Cooper, a 30-year-old wide receiver, may have been the first domino to fall.

Based on some insider reports, Cooper grew disgruntled with the team in the offseason, when his name continued to come up in trade rumors surrounding 49ers wideout, Brandon Aiyuk.

For over a month, the Browns were one of the hot names in rumors for the 49ers receiver, who wound up staying with the team and getting a new contract. However, it looks like the damage was done and Cooper was unhappy about being involved in so many trade rumors.

The trade not only gives Buffalo a legitimate number-one receiver, something they haven’t had since Steffon Diggs was traded to the Houston Texans in the offseason, but it also gives Cooper a chance to rebound after a tumultuous tenure in Cleveland.

Cooper and QB, Deshaun Watson never developed any chemistry, but the chance to play alongside Josh Allen is a chance for Cooper to return to dominance.

What’s Next?

The Vikings traded for running back, Cam Akers on the same day that the Browns sent Cooper to Buffalo, marking the second time that Minnesota has traded for Akers in the last two years. However, many people are wondering if we’re going to see another big name make a move this season.

Based on some current rumors, two teams in the AFC South may be looking to hit the reset button sooner rather than later, which could lead to some other receivers hitting the market.

Receivers Treylon Burks, DeAndre Hopkins, and Calvin Ridley are all on the Tennessee Titans roster, but the team is struggling mightily, as they currently sit at 1-4. Ridley has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with his role in the Titans offense and is currently the most likely of the three to be dealt.

However, Burks is younger, cheaper, and may be more desirable to teams looking for an affordable upgrade at the wideout position.

The Jacksonville Jaguars also seem to be going in the wrong direction this season, as the team is currently 1-5. Christian Kirk is the best receiver on the roster, but the Jaguars gave him a contract in 2022 that left many league execs and insiders scratching their heads. The perceived overpay may make it hard to trade the veteran wide receiver.

This doesn’t mean that Jacksonville doesn’t have attractive pieces. Travis Etienne (RB) and Josh Allen (EDGE) are both highly regarded and could provide an immediate boost to teams looking to upgrade their rosters for a playoff push.

With head coach Doug Pederson firmly on the hot seat, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Jacksonville start shedding players in an effort to accumulate draft picks for a new head coach to use as he tries to rebuild the Jags’ roster.

Teams have until November 5, 2024, to make trades, so there’s still plenty of time left before the NFL trade deadline.

While major trades aren’t as common in football as they are in baseball, basketball, and hockey, it’s clear that this season isn’t like most others, as two top-tier receivers have already been dealt. It’s hard to determine who might be next, but it’s safe to assume that some under-achieving teams will be looking to make moves.