Brandin Cooks Traded to Patriots in Deal Involving Multiple Draft Picks

The New Orleans Saints reached an agreement Friday to trade wide receiver Brandin Cooks to the New England Patriots.

According to ESPN’s Dianna Russini, the Patriots will receive Cooks and a fourth-round pick (No. 118 overall) in exchange for their first-round pick (No. 32 overall) and a third-round pick (No. 103 overall).

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport confirmed the news.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter added the two sides could revisit a trade for cornerback Malcolm Butler, whose name came up in talks for Cooks.

Cooks enjoyed plenty of success during his three years within New Orleans’ high-powered passing attack. The 2014 first-round pick caught 215 passes for 2,861 yards and 20 touchdowns in 42 games. He topped the 1,100-yard mark each of the past two seasons.

The dynamic Oregon State product is best known for his big-play skill set. His 98-yard touchdown catch against the Oakland Raiders in Week 1 stood as the longest reception of the 2016 NFL season. He also tied for sixth in catches of at least 20 yards, according to Pro Football Focus.

Trey Wingo of ESPN further highlighted the wideout’s ability to beat defenses over the top:

Mike Triplett of ESPN.com noted the 23-year-old California native spoke out after failing to record a catch during a 49-21 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in late November.

“It’s one of those things, as a competitor, I was frustrated. But at the same time, our offense was moving the ball, and we won the game, so that was the bright side of it,” Cooks said. “I’m just thinking from a competition standpoint, I always want to help, I feel like, and I necessarily didn’t that game.”

He added: “I feel like from my mindset, when I touch the ball, things happen, and I just want to help my team in that way.”

Those comments, which Cooks said didn’t come from a “selfish standpoint,” raised questions about whether he would be available for a trade during the offseason.

Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune passed along comments in February from Saints head coach Sean Payton, who seemed to shoot down that speculation on Mad Dog Sports Radio.

“Absolutely I do [expect Cooks back],” Payton said. “And, really, if you really want to cut down to the chase, he’s a magnificent kid—a worker, he’s not a kid anymore. He’s a tremendous player. He practices 100 miles per hour. You have to slow him down some. He’s got a great rapport with Drew.”

That New Orleans decided to move forward without Cooks comes as a surprise given his production and his contract situation. He’ll carry a measly $2.7 million cap hit for 2017 and will remain under team control for 2018 with the fifth-year option of his rookie deal, per Spotrac.

Schefter broke down additional financial ramifications:

Cooks should immediately become the Patriots’ top deep threat as a starter opposite possession receiver Julian Edelman. Danny Amendola and Chris Hogan are slated to fill out the rest of the depth chart, giving the team a well-rounded group of wideouts to pair with star tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Source: BleacherReport