Brandin Cooks to Green Bay Packers makes loads of sense
The Green Bay Packers are not in the WR market just to get some player who can catch a ball.
They need a receiver who can produce at a high level. One of the most productive but somehow underrated and least-talked-about receivers in the NFL over the past eight seasons has been Brandin Cooks.
Cooks, now on a rebuilding Houston Texans team, has spent his career with four different teams (New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, Texans). He has been a 1,000-yard receiver with each of those teams.
To be specific, the former Oregon State Beaver has had six 1,000-yard seasons, including four straight from 2015-2018 with New Orleans, New England, and L.A. What’s also impressive is that he has been a 1,000-yard receiver on arguably the worst team in the league the last two seasons in Houston with multiple QBs.
Now, think about Aaron Rodgers throwing him the football. That would be a very dangerous combo. The California native (like Rodgers) can line up anywhere. His ability to be shifty in the slot while engaging the afterburners (4.3 40 time) while going deep could be a huge lift for a team that is now without the best receiver in the game in Davante Adams.
He also has over 300 career rushing yards with two touchdowns, meaning he is extremely dynamic. Matt LaFleur likes to run a lot of jet sweeps in his offense. That could be a tough wrinkle for opposing teams to deal with.
Cooks also has Super Bowl experience (2017 with Patriots and 2018 with Rams). However, he was not able to be on the winning side in either of those games. The Green Bay Packers, outside of the WR position, have a Super Bowl-ready team. Their division is weak. They have won 13 games each of the past three seasons.
Houston is in total rebuild mode. Deshaun Watson is gone. It’s a completely new regime under Lovie Smith. Cooks will also be 29 this season. Houston is looking to get younger while Green Bay is looking to win right now. Both teams are in opposite conferences.
GM Brian Gutekunst should send a third-round pick to Houston if that is acceptable from Texans GM Nick Caserio’s point of view. Adding Cooks to this Packers offense would bolster their receiving corps as well as giving him his best chance at winning the Super Bowl that he has had in a few years.
Brandin Cooks has played with some great signal-callers in his career. Drew Brees. Tom Brady. Deshaun Watson. Why not give him a chance to go play with the most talented QB of all time in Aaron Charles Rodgers?