The Bills’ newest wide receiver suited up for his first full practice in Orchard Park on Thursday.
First day of school … in October?
That’s the case this week at One Bills Drive with the Bills getting a talented new classmate in the middle of the semester.
Pro Bowl wideout Amari Cooper stepped on the field Thursday for his first full practice with the team since coming over in a trade with Cleveland.
Cooper earlier in the week described his trip from Cleveland to Buffalo as the drive before the first day of school.
Someone familiar with being the new kid in class in the middle of the year is corner Rasul Douglas, who joined the team last season at the trade deadline from Green Bay.
“You know how first day of school be,” Douglas said. “You just be looking around like alright, you know what I mean. You’re just trying to find the people you know. You’re hoping some of your friends went to the school so you know them.”
Douglas said he can relate to what Cooper is going through and has no worries about the new wide receiver’s ability to fit in with the team.
“I know him coming here is like, ‘Do I know anyone here that I’ve played with here? And if I don’t, then I don’t know anybody,’ ” Douglas said. “So it’s like, you’re kind of waiting for people to come up to you and introduce themselves to you so you feel like, alright, OK. … You’ve just to make him just feel welcome, at home. We preach family here so it should be good.”
Cooper’s fellow wide receivers got their first look at the addition to their position group on Thursday, and had praise for the star wide receiver who is joining their locker room.
“Everybody knows about him,” Bills receiver Curtis Samuel said. “Dynamic, explosive playmaker. Anytime he touches the ball, he makes something happen. He’s been doing it for a long time now.”
The 2015 first-round pick out of Alabama brings to Buffalo a resume that includes five Pro-Bowl selections and seven seasons of more than 1,000 receiving yards, including over 1,100 receiving yards in four of the past five years.
“Any guy that can do that for so long, consistency that way, he’s doing things the right way,” Samuel said.
And while Cooper figures to be a major boost to a Bills offense that needed help at wide receiver, players on both sides of the ball are excited to suit up on game days alongside someone with the talent and resume of Amari Cooper.
“Especially with a guy who’s played on different teams, that helps a ton, so just his knowledge of the game and how long he’s played,” Bills cornerback Taron Johnson said. “His knowledge of the game is going to be helpful for our defense.”
Rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman had maybe the best way to describe what Cooper bring to the Bills attack:
“Same thing as adding another person with money to your household. (It) helps you pay everything. Helps everyone out, helps everybody get open and just bring more thrill to the offense.”