3 players Packers should make trade offer for before deadline

Brandin Cooks

The Packers have already added two former Houston Texans players this year, first trading for Randall Cobb then signing Whitney Mercilus. With the Texans going nowhere this season, perhaps they’d be willing to trade wide receiver Brandin Cooks.

Cooks has played well this season despite all of the Texans’ problems, catching 45 passes for 502 yards and a touchdown. He currently ranks 15th in the NFL for receiving yards. Now put him in Matt LaFleur’s offense catching passes from Aaron Rodgers. The scheme won’t be completely new to him, either, having spent a couple of seasons playing under Sean McVay.

The Packers already have plenty of good receiving options next to Davante Adams, but Cooks could quickly become the number two pass catcher in this offense. Cooks can line up all over the field and has game-changing speed.

According to Spotrac, Cooks’ current cap hit for 2021 is a manageable $5.59 million, although it rises to $15.5 million in 2022. A long-term deal could help with that in the offseason.

Wide receiver might not be a major concern for Green Bay, but if this team truly is all-in for 2021, adding talent at any position before the trade deadline should be a strong consideration. If Cooks is available, the Packers can land a potential difference-maker on offense. He’d give LaFleur even more options on offense and can become a reliable number two receiver in Green Bay.