Brandin Cooks seen as possible Patriots offseason trade target
Cooks played in New England during the 2017 season.
The Bruins defeated the Senators 3-1 on Monday, with David Pastrnak (two) and Jake DeBrusk adding the goals.
The Celtics will return on Thursday following the NBA All-Star break, facing the Pacers in Indiana at 7 p.m.
Brandin Cooks and the possibility of a wide receiver trade: The NFL offseason is beginning to take shape, with less than a month before the new league year officially begins on March 15 (which is also when free agents can begin signing with new teams).
The Patriots may have need of a wide receiver, given that both Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor are set to become free agents.
Given that possibility, speculation is already underway about a potential New England addition at the position.
Pro Football Focus writer Brad Spielberger focused on the dynamic in his recent preview of possible NFL offseason trades.
Among the deals Spielberger predicted was the Patriots re-acquiring a familiar name: Brandin Cooks.
Cooks, 29, played for the Patriots in during the 2017 season after New England traded a first-round pick to acquire him. Despite totaling 1,082 receiving yards that year and catching seven touchdowns, Cooks was traded again after the season to the Rams (for another first-round pick).
Currently a member of the Texans, he has two years remaining on his current contract. Still, Cooks could be on his way out of Houston.
“I’m not going into this offseason thinking I want to be a part of a rebuild,” Cooks said on January of the Texans’ future. Houston went 3-13-1 in 2022 and currently holds the second and 12th overall picks in the 2023 NFL Draft.
According to Spielberger, the Patriots could re-acquire Cooks for a third-round pick (also sending a seventh-round pick to the Texans as part of the deal).
Spielberger illustrated Cooks’s potential alongside Mac Jones with some Pro Football Focus metrics.
“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,” he explained. “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.”
A legitimate deep threat is something the Patriots have been seeking to find during Jones’s tenure as the team’s starting quarterback, though Cooks could provide more than simply an occasional downfield strike.
“Cooks remains one of the better deep-ball trackers in the NFL, with the ability to consistently handle significant volume,” said Spielberger. “He had at least four receptions in 11 of 13 games in 2022 — and he probably would have even more impressive stats if he had played elsewhere.”
Trivia: Brandin Cooks was the 20th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, yet he was the fourth wide receiver taken. Who was the first receiver picked that year?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: He was drafted fourth overall by the Bills.
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David Pastrnak’s 40th goal of the season: Pastrnak later added goal No. 41 on a no-look assist from Charlie McAvoy.
On this day: In 2018, seasonal South Boston resident Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall combined to win the first cross-country Olympic gold medal in Team USA’s history.
Diggins ensured that it was a dramatic finish, closing the gap on her rivals before putting in the finishing kick right in the final few yards to pull ahead by less than a ski length.
NBC sports commentator Chad Salmela’s enthusiastic call (“Here comes Diggins!”) became an iconic moment at the Pyeongchang Winter Games.
Daily highlight: Linus Ullmark allowed the Bruins to overcome a bad turnover by making a fantastic snap save.
Trivia answer: Sammy Watkins
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