Bills’ door potentially re-opens for Amari Cooper due to NFL Draft failure

The Buffalo Bills opted to not address one of their top perceived needs at the NFL Draft.

Buffalo went heavy on defense, attempting to improve a unit that slipped in the league rankings to No. 17 overall last year and surrendered 32 points to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game (the Chiefs’ highest point total of the season).

While filling holes on one side of the ball, however, the Bills waited until their final pick to take a wide receiver and used the No. 240 selection on Maryland’s Kaden Prather. While Prather has some appealing traits, it’s unlikely a seventh-rounder will be able to come in and contribute immediately to the offense.

With veteran Amari Cooper unsigned, Buffalo has a starting WR spot up for grabs, but the front office may be content with simply increasing reps for one of their current weapons. Although the Bills lost Mack Hollins to the New England Patriots, they signed Joshua Palmer away from the Los Angeles Chargers. That leaves quarterback Josh Allen four seemingly capable wide receivers with Palmer joining Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman and Curtis Samuel.

General manager Brandon Beane came out swinging on Monday morning during a radio interview, fending off criticism for the WR corps that he’s assembled.

“A year ago, I get you guys asking why we didn’t have receivers, but I don’t understand it now. You just saw us lead the league in points, when you add all the postseason. No one scored more points than the Buffalo Bills, including the Super Bowl champions. So, you just saw us do it without Stefon Diggs. How is this group not better than last year’s group?” said Beane on WGR’s Jeremy & Joe Show.

While Beane erupted and vigorously defended the current group of receivers on the Monday morning after the NFL Draft, the general manager has repeatedly mentioned the idea that there can always be additions between now and the season opener that is more than four months away.

Following the Bills’ draft choices, it seems possible that Cooper could be that late addition at a salary cap-friendly rate, especially considering the market hasn’t materialized around the soon-to-be 31-year-old pass-catcher.

Although he reportedly lost a step at some point in the past year, and recorded only 297 yards on 20 receptions over eight regular season appearances for Buffalo, Cooper certainly drew attention from opposing defenses and publicly bought in to the offensive philosophy.

Simply put, Cooper was a team player and he knows the system. If the Bills think he has anything left in the tank, it makes sense to bring him back this summer.