The Cleveland Browns offense has indisputably struggled in 2024 and will now be without arguably its best player after trading Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills. Cooper led the team in receiving yards and touchdowns, leaving behind a gaping hole in the offense.
With Cooper now in Buffalo, the team figures to struggle even more to find the end zone. Following his departure, the only player on the team with multiple touchdowns in 2024 is backup safety Rodney McLeod Jr., according to ESPN’s Jake Trotter.
Cooper is responsible for two of DeShaun Watson’s five touchdown passes on the year with Jordan Akins, Jerry Jeudy and Blake Whiteheart each grabbing one. On the ground, Watson has one rushing touchdown with running back Jerome Ford also reaching paydirt once. No other player has found the end zone for the team.
McLeod does not have an interception on the year and has scored both of his touchdowns off a “scoop-and-score.” The defensive back scored the only touchdown of the game for the Browns in Week 6 off a blocked field goal two weeks after returning a Zamir White fumble for a score in Week 4 against the Raiders.
Browns’ new offense without Amari Cooper
In the aftermath of the trade that sent Cooper to Buffalo, the Browns did not receive any immediate assets in return. Instead, Cleveland received a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 seventh-round pick.
Related Cleveland Browns NewsArticle continues below
Without Cooper, Jeudy immediately becomes Watson’s new de facto No. 1 receiver. The former first-round pick was acquired by the team in the offseason and is currently second behind Cooper in targets, receptions and receiving yards through six games.
To replace his role in the starting lineup, the team lists second-year wideout Cedric Tillman as Cooper’s immediate replacement opposite of Jeudy with Elijah Moore in the slot. However, the Browns will likely hit free agency with fifth-round rookie Jamari Thrash as the only backup receiver on the roster with David Bell on injured reserve. Moore also suffered a rib injury in Week 6 and is currently questionable for Week 7.
While the team lacks depth at receiver, they are expecting to bolster their backfield with the return of Nick Chubb targeted for Week 7. Chubb has not played since tearing his ACL, MCL and PCL in Week 2 of the 2023 season. A return from Chubb would be a welcome addition to the Browns’ offense which has recorded just 583 rushing yards through Week 6 including 264 from Ford.
Jaren Kawada is a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media.
