5 teams who could trade for New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks

4. New England Patriots

Any time there’s an opportunity to acquire a player who has possibly outlived his usefulness for another team, the Patriots have to be mentioned. Wide receiver may not look like a major need for them, but the perpetually banged-up Julian Edelman will turn 31 before next season. On top of that, questions about tight end Rob Gronkowski’s health after recent back surgery could leave a real void of playmakers around Tom Brady in 2017.

As he completes a third season working with Brees, Cooks obviously has experience with a Hall of Fame quarterback. There are some potential concerns right now about how well Cooks fits in the Saints’ offense, but those issues would likely diminish in New England.

No matter what he says about how much longer he wants to play, Brady is close to the end of his career. So continuing to add proven pieces around him has to be on Bill Belichick’s radar, and Cooks stands out in that regard if New Orleans wants to unload him.