The New Orleans Saints are reportedly shopping wide receiver Brandin Cooks at his request, but the ask in return is far too great.
Brandin Cooks is a very nice player. At 23 years old, he has a pair of 1,100-yard seasons under his belt after being a first-round pick of the Saints int the 2014 NFL Draft. He’s been productive thanks to great hands and blazing speed.
And nobody should be trading a mid-first round pick for him.
Cooks is a productive player, and there are ample rumors coming from the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis that he’s on the block. The Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans appear the most interested parties, which makes sense considering their current receiver groups.
Reportedly, Cooks wants out of the New Orleans offense, which he believes does not feature his talents. Yet he’s had consecutive campaigns of 1,100 yards and is being thrown to by a Hall of Fame quarterback.
If Cooks gets traded to the Eagles or Titans, he’s going to lose his mind after initial excitement. Tennessee is a power running team. Cooks might be the top weapon in the passing game, but his targets on throws further than 10 yards will decrease. In Philadelphia, Carson Wentz looks downfield less than Alex Smith. Again, Cooks will be catching plenty of passes as the “X” receiver, but he won’t be racking up yardage.
Tennessee and Philadelphia should both pass unless the price tag drops. Cooks is worth a second, but in this loaded draft class, teams should be hoarding picks, not giving them up. Additionally, why are the Saints so willing to move on? Maybe they feel Cooks is a good player, but not a great one, and certainly not worth an extension upwards of $70 million.
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Cooks is tempting, but should ultimately be a hard pass for a first-round pick. His production isn’t worth it, despite a misleading amount of yardage in the pass-heavy Saints attack.
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