What might it take for a team to sign either player?
With OTAs and mandatory minicamp now complete for the Buffalo Bills, I took a little time to reflect on two members from last year’s team who remain free agents. Some may disagree, but I’m still surprised that veterans Rasul Douglas and Amari Cooper remain free agents in the latter part of June.
Both Cooper and Douglas provided a boost to the club following trade-deadline deals by general manager Brandon Beane. Douglas filled the void left by Tre’Davious White following his season-ending injury in 2023, and maintained the starting role in 2024. Cooper gave a jolt to the Bills’ offense that was much needed after two abysmal performances against the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens in 2024. While I didn’t believe there was a strong chance that either would re-sign with Buffalo, it does seem like they could serve as a valuable asset to another club.
There hasn’t been much in the news around any contract demands for either player, and you would have to imagine a one-year “prove it” type deal with a contender would be expected. Age isn’t working in their favor, as both Cooper and Douglas are over 30. At this point the most likely scenario could be for both players to wait for the start of training camp — where injuries are inevitable and teams could add a proven veteran.
Other former Bills players who remain free agents are Von Miller, Austin Johnson, Quinton Jefferson and Jordan Phillips. I guess I am a bit surprised that Miller remains a free agent too, but the combination of him being 36 years old, his injury history, and his off-field allegations make it understandable. Phillips is the one player I could see returning to Buffalo, perhaps in a role on the practice squad similar to Micah Hyde in 2024.
So for now both Cooper and Douglas remain free agents, and we’ll see if there’s any interest in the unrestricted free agents prior to training camp.