Bill O’Brien really wanted to work with Brandin Cooks.
When the current New England Patriots offensive coordinator was still the coach and general manager for the Houston Texans, he told reporters on a Zoom call on April 16, 2020 that the former New Orleans Saints 2014 first-round pick brought “a lot to the table.”
“He’s a tremendous route runner, he’s got great speed, really good deep ball player,” O’Brien said. “If you look at his yards per catch over the years, it’s really high. You’re talking about in the 14 to 15 range.”
Any praise for Cooks was lost on deaf ears among Houston sports fans as it was in the wake of trading All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals for running back David Johnson and a fourth-round pick.
According to Brad Spielberger from Pro Football Focus, with O’Brien in New England, they would be a team to keep an eye on as a possible trading partner with Houston as they look to move on from a disillusioned Cooks.
Cooks lasted one year with New England, and he was with O’Brien in Houston for only four games before the coach’s firing. With Patriots wide receivers Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor pending free agents, New England and O’Brien reunite with the veteran Cooks. The Patriots won’t have to part with a first-round pick as they did back in 2017, and Cooks’ contract runs through 2024, which is also the fourth and final year of quarterback Mac Jones’ rookie deal.
More than half of Cooks’ remaining contract being guaranteed works against his value a bit, though it could also make it more likely he plays out these years as compared to DeAndre Hopkins. Despite the tumultuous past three seasons in Houston, Cook earned an 82.1 cumulative receiving grade, which was a top-30 mark at the position. His 1.90 yards per route run ranked in the top 25, his 66 explosive receptions ranked 17th and his 30 receptions on balls thrown 20-plus yards downfield ranked eighth.
If the Texans did trade Cooks, it would mean they would need a pick from their top-103 in the 2023 NFL draft to replace him.
