The NFL trade deadline is a little less than a month away, and teams will make the mistake of waiting until the last minute to submit final bids for players, although they know they're in need right now. The Los Angeles Chargers, who are in need of a wide receiver, shouldn't wait that long.
It's no secret that the Las Vegas Raiders won't trade All-Pro Davante Adams to an AFC West rival. However, there are several teams currently occupied with trying to trade for him in the next week or two. While that's going on, the Chargers need to be creeping in the background for the Cleveland Browns' Amari Cooper.
Cooper is a Pro Bowler stuck on a team that's being held hostage by its quarterback's awful contract and is set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
Even if Cleveland wanted to bring Cooper back next season, there's no incentive for him to return to the Browns. Therefore, he should be traded within the month, and the Chargers should get a headstart on the competition.
Cooper only has a cap hit of $8.7 million this season and would provide Justin Herbert with a true No. 1 option with elite footwork and ball-tracking skills.
Los Angeles owns all seven of its draft picks in April and the New England Patriots' sixth-round pick. By acquiring Cooper, the Chargers would give themselves a chance to make a good impression and get a head start of the rest of the league in free agency.
However, the Chargers should target Cooper with a sense of urgency. Once Adams is dealt, Browns general manager Andrew Berry will have the hottest phone in football as teams bum-rush the 1-4 Browns with trade offers.
With a healthy offensive tackle duo of Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, Los Angeles should be a prime candidate for a Wild Card berth with Cooper lining up opposite young receivers Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/chargers/ as With NFL distracted by Davante Adams, Chargers should trade for Amari Cooper.