Browns will likely inquire about Davante Adams and possibly DeAndre Hopkins; What about the Amari Cooper rumors?

They came to a head on Tuesday when Raiders coach Antonio Pierce reportedly liked an Instagram post that suggested Adams had suffered his final loss as a Raider. Later that day, NFL Network reported that Adams had told the Raiders he would prefer to play elsewhere, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Raiders were pursuing a second-round pick as part of the compensation.

The Raiders acquired the six-time Pro Bowler in a trade with the Packers in 2022, giving up first- and second-round picks in the process. They then extended his contract and made him the highest-paid receiver in the NFL at the time at $28 million per year. In 37 games, he caught 221 passes for 2,869 yards and 23 touchdowns. In three starts this season, he had 18 catches for 209 yards and a touchdown.

After his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season, Adams will turn 32 in December. Teams like the Chiefs, Jets and Commanders have already been mentioned as possible landing spots for Adams, with the Nov. 5 trade deadline at 4 p.m. just over a month away

Would it make sense for the Browns to acquire Adams? They are 1-3 and will miss the playoffs if they don’t turn things around quickly. As it stands, they’ll probably have to go 9-4 the rest of the way to get a legitimate shot. Would Adams be enough to get them back on track? He is owed $13.5 million of his salary and $17.5 million in bonuses this season and is owed $35.6 million next year and $36.6 million in 2026 US Dollar under contract but has no guaranteed money in these final two years. The Browns would have to renew the contract, and that would cost a significant amount, with Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson leading the market at $35 million per year.

One thing is for sure: Browns GM Andrew Berry would have no problem discussing the trade with Raiders first-year GM Tom Telesco, his former boss and mentor in Indianapolis.

But what about Hopkins, who has had excellent chemistry with Watson since their three years together in Houston? Hopkins is rumored to be 1-3 with the Titans and is not considered a contender. The Browns are also 1-3, but believe they can still maintain balance with the Ravens at 2-2 and the Bengals at 1-3.

Watson stood up for the 32-year-old Hopkins at the Browns’ charity golf outing in 2023.

“I’ll just say this: D-Hop, DeAndre Hopkins, would love to be in a place where we have a chance to win,” Watson said at the time. “We check all of those boxes. I think for us to know and make sure we check all those boxes on the national stage, we have to go out there and prove it, and I think D-Hop would love to be a part of that and prove people wrong.”

In Watson’s rookie year in 2017, Hopkins caught 45 passes and seven touchdowns in the first seven games before Watson suffered a season-ending ACL tear. Hopkins led the NFL with 13 receiving TDs that year. In 2018, Hopkins ranked third in the NFL with 115 receptions, second with 1,572 yards, and caught 11 touchdown passes en route to his second first-team All-Pro selection. In their final season together in 2019 before joining the Cardinals, Hopkins caught 104 passes for 1,165 yards and seven TDs and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the third straight year.

“It’s really just starting with him,” Watson said of their excellent connection in Houston. “He just makes the throws a lot easier. His range and catch radius are great, probably the best in the league. And I mean, just the things that he does have made my job a lot easier. So I just shot the ball in his direction. He made the plays.”

What does this all mean for Cooper, who skipped the mandatory offseason program and stayed away from mandatory minicamp due to a contract dispute? Before training camp, he got his $20 million salary fully guaranteed, which was what he wanted most, plus an additional $5 million in incentives. But he didn’t get the extension he coveted and the guarantee didn’t stop the Browns from attempting a trade for 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk during camp.

With Cooper’s contract expiring after this season, it might make sense for the Browns to trade him and get something in return. He could also be part of a trade for another receiver. After the Browns’ alleged offer for Cooper and two draft picks for Aiyuk was reported, Cooper posted on Instagram: “lol I wouldn’t have minded at all.” He left it up to reporters to interpret the meaning, but it certainly seemed to be a response to trading conditions.

After getting off to a slow start in his first two games – with two likely touchdown passes – he was back on his own in the loss to the Giants, catching 7 of 12 targets for 86 yards with two touchdowns. In Vegas, he caught just 4 of 8 targets for 35 yards, but his 82-yard TD catch was negated by a hold call against Nick Harris.

A third-quarter pass over deep center bounced off his chest and was intercepted, with the Raiders turning it into a TD and extending their lead to 20-10. Cooper was also the first player in the final round on fourth-and-three on the nine, but failed to clear the safety in time. He was the first Browns player to leave the field, and by the time reporters entered, he had already left the locker room.

The question is, would the Browns be willing to trade Cooper if they didn’t acquire another premier receiver? It would be risky. Jerry Jeudy is playing well and David Njoku is coming back, but Cooper was still the Browns’ No. 1 target. Will it stay that way?