The Cleveland Browns traded an All-American wide receiver from Alabama to the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday, which elevated another All-American wide receiver from Alabama into their top-target role.

“Man, it was sad because Amari (Cooper), that’s my dog,” Jerry Jeudy said. “So that’s the guy that I used to always hang around in the locker room with, crack jokes with. Seeing him go to another team, it was kind of tough, but it’s a part of the game.”

RELATED: AMARI COOPER ON TRADE TO BUFFALO: ‘IT DID REINVIGORATE ME’

Cooper became the first Cleveland player to post back-to-back seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards in 2024, when he earned Pro Bowl recognition for the fifth time. He set a single-game franchise record with 265 receiving yards in a 36-22 victory over the Houston Texans on Dec. 24.

But this season, with the Browns averaging 15.8 points and a league-low 240.2 yards per game, Cooper had 24 receptions for 250 yards and two touchdowns in six games. Those numbers still led Cleveland in all three receiving categories.

Cooper also had been targeted by quarterback Deshaun Watson 53 times, almost 50 percent more than any other receiver.

“I think it’s a bunch of guys,” Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski said when asked about filling Cooper’s role. “As you know, Amari’s volume of targets was a lot. Well, those have to go to other people, so other people in the wide-receiver room, the tight-end room, the running-back room, what have you, but we do have a lot of confidence in our guys.”

As the only other Cleveland player who has reached 100 receiving yards this season, Jeudy is the obvious choice to become the top target, and he said he does expect his opportunities to increase.

“Just put me in more positions to make plays,” Jeudy said about the effects of the trade. “That’s the only way my role could change. I’m going to consistently keep doing me, consistently keep going out there and practicing, be the better version of myself.”

The Browns obtained Jeudy from the Denver Broncos in a trade on March 13. He has 20 receptions for 248 yards and one touchdown in 2024.

In his final two seasons at Alabama, Jeudy had 145 receptions 2,478 yards and 24 touchdowns even though he shared targets with future NFL wide receivers Henry Ruggs III, DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle.

After joining Denver as the 15th selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, Jeudy had 211 receptions for 3,053 yards and 11 touchdowns in four seasons with the Broncos. He alternated leading the team in receiving yards with Courtland Sutton, with Jeudy topping the chart in 2020 with 856 and 2022 with 972 and Sutton leading in 2021 with 776 and 2023 with 772.

Jeudy said he views himself as a No. 1 receiver.

“I think I’ve always been ready,” Jeudy said. “I’ve always been a guy that’s always been getting the ball until I got to the league a few years. I always think I’m ready. Now they gave me the opportunity to really step up, and now it’s time to take advantage of that.”

The Browns play the Cincinnati Bengals at noon CDT Sunday at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland. The Browns are 1-5 and the Bengals 2-4 entering Cleveland’s first AFC North game of the season.

“I’m looking forward to it, especially being a home division game,” Jeudy said. “I’m ready to see the energy from the crowd, the excitement. I’m ready to get this ‘W.’”

Even without Cooper, Jeudy said the Browns can become a much more productive offense.

“I think we have a lot of self-inflicted wounds that hurt us and penalize us,” Jeudy said. “I feel like we just got to do better at that. Each individual offensive (player) has got to focus on the details and fundamentals, what I’ve been saying since Day 1. Once everybody’s on the same page, that’s when our offense can be dynamic. We’ve just got to make sure that happens.”

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.