The Dallas Cowboys entered the season as Super Bowl contenders, but America’s Team could trade veterans like Brandin Cooks following their underwhelming 3-5 start. Originally selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Cooks ended up with the Cowboys after productive stints with the New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, and Houston Texans. At his best, the perennial 1,000-yard receiver excelled as a dangerous deep threat who made it to two Super Bowls and helped Tom Brady win MVP in 2017.
Unfortunately, age has caught up to the wide receiver, as he hasn’t recorded 1,000 receiving yards since 2021. However, he can still be a productive player, as evidenced by his 54-catch, 657-yard, and eight-touchdown performance in 2023. While injuries limited him to four games in 2024, reports indicate he should be healthy for Week 10. Nobody will give up much in a Brandin Cooks trade, but teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers could roll the dice on the impending free agent.
Chiefs, Chargers Could Trade For Brandin Cooks
The Kansas City Chiefs already addressed their need for a wide receiver with the DeAndre Hopkins trade, but they could still use another body. The team entered the season believing that the trio of Rashee Rice, free agent signee Marquise Brown, and first-round pick Xavier Worthy could lead to improved results on the 2023 iteration of the team. Unfortunately, the Chiefs never had a chance to test that theory, as Brown went down in the preseason and Rice suffered a season-ending injury against the Los Angeles Chargers. Hopkins fills one of those voids, and a Brandin Cooks trade could fill the other.
On paper, Cooks and Brown have similar playing styles. While Brown is the better player at this stage in their respective careers, both receivers excel at making plays down the field and forcing defenses to respect the deep ball. Dak Prescott is a good quarterback, but he’s no Patrick Mahomes. With Worthy still struggling to find consistency on the NFL stage, Cooks could fill the vacated Brown role and bring a much-needed vertical element to one of the NFL’s most horizontal passing attacks. Nobody should expect the 2018 version of Cooks to magically return, but pairing him with a big-armed quarterback like Mahomes could bring out the best in the veteran.
Loading Up Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers have washed away the stint of the Brandon Staley Era and find themselves sitting pretty with a 5-3 record. After a slow, injury-riddled start to the season, Justin Herbert is back to his usual elite form, and head coach Jim Harbaugh has infused the defense and running game with his smash-mouth style of football. This team has the talent to make some noise in the postseason, but a Brandin Cooks trade could put this team over the top.
Youngsters Quentin Johnston and second-round pick Ladd McConkey are having strong seasons, but neither player is a superstar at this stage in their respective careers. Brandin Cooks is no longer a star player himself, but the trade candidate perfectly complements the skillsets in the room. Harbaugh doesn’t value wide receivers as much as other coaches, so instead of paying big for a top option, he could make a low-risk, medium-reward move for Brandin Cooks.
Main Photo: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports
