The history of in-season WR trades, and insights on Davante Adams, Amari Cooper

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What a Tuesday! Before you learn everything you should know about the Davante Adams and Amari Cooper deals, let’s start with a brief history lesson.

Do mid-season WR trades pay off? Rarely

Big-name moves dominated yesterday’s headlines when the Jets added Davante Adams and the Bills acquired Amari Cooper. More on each below, but let’s quickly look at the history of midseason deals.

There have been 34 in-season wide receiver trades since 2000. Of those, 17 included at least a fourth-round draft pick. And in hindsight, most didn’t pan out. The full list:

Clearly, it’s difficult to pull these off. Of the 17 receivers acquired for significant capital mid-season, only five were obvious successes. Now, this isn’t some big surprise. Receivers need to understand a new playbook, develop chemistry within the offense and a new quarterback; this isn’t just plug and play. Some successes:

1. Chris Chambers averaged 55.5 yards per game for the Chargers in 2007, they made the AFC Championship.
2. Braylon Edwards gave Mark Sanchez and the 2009 Jets a deep threat, averaging 45.1 yards per game on a team that reached the AFC Championship.
3. Deion Branch — who was reunited with his old quarterback, Tom Brady (sound familiar?) — averaged 64.2 yards per game in 2010 before a Divisional round loss to the Jets.
4. Amari Cooper (also familiar!) was the best midseason acquisition, contributing 80.5 yards per game for the 2018 Cowboys, who lost to the eventual NFC champion Rams in the Divisional round.
5. Emmanuel Sanders averaged 50.2 yards per game for the 49ers in 2019, helping them reach the Super Bowl.

Despite the positives that point to success for both Adams and Cooper, acquiring a talented receiver is often a gamble — Randy Moss was cut by the Vikings after four games, Roy Williams averaged fewer than 20 yards per game in Dallas, etc. — these moves are rarely massive success stories.

Given the successful precedent of pairing a receiver with their former Hall of Fame QB and acquiring Amari Cooper midseason, these two moves hold promise. Let’s start in New York:

Davante Adams to the Jets: What you should know

Adams lands in New York after the Jets sent a conditional 2025 third-round pick to Las Vegas.

It was years in the making. Rodgers has pushed for Adams since the QB arrived in New York, with GM Joe Douglas phoning the Raiders at the trade deadline last year and throughout this offseason. When Adams requested a trade last Monday, this felt likely.

Trade details: The conditional third becomes a second if Adams ends 2024 as a first- or second-team All-Pro, or is on the active roster for the AFC Championship Game or Super Bowl.

How it got done: Most of the trade was agreed to before the Jets played the Bills on Monday, after New York agreed to pay (and restructure) Adams’ remaining base salary of about $11.59 million. Adams flew to New Jersey that night, The Athletic reported. And yes, his hamstring is fine.

The Jets: Despite a 2-4 start, BetMGM improved their title odds yesterday from +3500 to +3000, 12th in the NFL. But as Zack Rosenblatt writes, Adams is not the missing piece for a Super Bowl run: “He can’t fix left tackle Tyron Smith (five sacks allowed this season) or the leaky run defense.” This week’s matchup against 4-2 Pittsburgh is a critical get-right game.

Fantasy implications: With Adams expected to shift to the No. 1 receiver role, The Athletic’s fantasy expert Jake Ciely downgraded Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard to WR3s, while Adams is a mid-high WR2.

As for the Raiders: Is it rebuilding time? As one commenter (Shae V.) put it, they remain two drafts away from being a contender, for the 20th consecutive season. Ouch.

For more: Jeff Howe shared his trade grades, and Zack joined Robert Mays on “The Athletic Football Show” to explain why this trade could keep Rodgers around for another year (at the one-minute mark).

Amari Cooper to the Bills: What you should know

We also saw the Browns trade WR Amari Cooper and a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Bills for a 2025 third-round pick and 2026 seventh-round pick.

Was a Cooper move inevitable? Yes, said Browns beat reporter Zac Jackson: “Cooper had been miserable this season with the Browns. He never said that directly, but it was reflected in his body language and his play.”

Same with Buffalo? The Bills badly needed a receiver who can separate and command attention from opposing defenses — think Stefon Diggs without the drama — but he needed to be inexpensive, as they had just $2.9 million in cap space.

How this worked: Thanks to Cleveland converting most of Cooper’s $20 million salary, the Bills only need to pay his remaining $1.21 million base salary. Cooper is in the final year of his contract, but as Joe Buscaglia writes, this was a home run for Buffalo.

The new-look Bills: This move led to BetMGM improving Buffalo’s title odds from +1000 to +900, placing them fourth (behind the Chiefs, 49ers and Ravens). It’s a perfect fit for Allen’s offense, as Cooper is a strong route runner who gets open and will now play with the best quarterback of his career.

Fantasy implications: Cooper is the obvious WR1 in Buffalo, landing in an ideal situation to boost his value. He’s back in the WR2 category, potentially a top-20 receiver, while Josh Allen also gets a boost.

As for the Browns: The fire sale begins, and they’ll be on the hook for $22 million in dead money from Coopers’ contract. TE David Njoku should lead the team in targets, while Jerry Jeudy steps up as the No. 1 receiver. Then again, it means little as long as Deshaun Watson is behind center.

For more: Jeff Howe shared his trade grades.

What Dianna’s Hearing: Jerry Jones explains himself

Jerry Jones is always a popular man at league meetings. The fall owners meetings in Atlanta have been no different, especially because the Cowboys owner, after watching his team get blown out by the Lions on Sunday, had a heated exchange with radio hosts on Tuesday morning.

I was able to chase Jones down for an exclusive interview yesterday, and Jones explained his semi-weekly appearance on the team’s flagship radio station, 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, this way:

“If I’m going to be grilled by the tribunal, I don’t need it to be by the guys I’m paying,” Jones said. “I can take it from fans and take it from other people… but I was a little frustrated there today.”

Jones added that he still believes in the now 3-3 Cowboys — and, specifically, the coaching staff. When I asked whether he’d stick with Mike McCarthy and his coordinators: “Of course. Not even a distant thought about that.”

Back to you, Jacob.

Around the NFL

The Vikings acquired RB Cam Akers from the Texans, trading a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick. Houston included a conditional 2026 seventh-rounder. Akers adds depth behind Aaron Jones and reunites with HC Kevin O’Connell, who he played for on the Rams. (Read more)

Steelers QB Russell Wilson is expected to start against the Jets this Sunday. Despite a 4-2 record, Justin Fields will revert to a backup role. Mike DeFabo has more on the decision.

The Jets gave DE Haason Reddick a short window to seek a trade amid his contract dispute with the team. Reddick also hired a new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, who was reaching out to teams yesterday. (Read more)

49ers QB Brock Purdy continues to rise up The Athletic’s QB Stock Report, as Jeff Howe notes that “it’s time for [the] perception to change. Purdy is undoubtedly among the game’s best.”

Before we go, yesterday’s most-clicked: The Athletic’s updated Power Rankings.

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(Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)