New York Jets reportedly interested in trading for Houston Texans WR Brandin Cooks
The New York Jets have been linked to yet another big-name wide receiver who could find himself on the trade market.
According to a report from Jordan Schultz, the Jets are one of five teams who have called the Houston Texans about wide receiver Brandin Cooks. The Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, and Philadelphia Eagles are the others.
Sources: #Cowboys, #Packers and #Jets have all called #Texans about WR Brandin Cooks — while #Rams and #Raiders previously called before Allen Robinson/Davante Adams moves.
• Cooks only 28 yrs old!
• SIX 1k seasons w/4 DIFF QBs!
• 205 catches of 15+ yards (5th) since 2014!— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 7, 2022
I’m told #Saints and #Eagles have also inquired about Brandin Cooks, whose 8,364 receiving yards rank sixth in the league since his rookie season of 2014.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 7, 2022
Cooks, who will turn 29 in December, is entering the final season of a five-year, $81 million contract he signed ahead of the 2018 season. He has a $12.5 million base salary this season and is due to have a cap hit of $16.2 million.
With Cooks entering a contract year and the Texans still nowhere near title contention, some have speculated that Houston could elect to supplement their long-term rebuild by flipping Cooks for draft compensation.
Despite already being traded three times in his career, Cooks has been one of the most consistent top-end wideouts in the NFL for a long time. Cooks has registered six 1,000-yard seasons in the last eight years, those coming with four different teams and five different primary starting quarterbacks.
Cooks played in 16 games during the 2021 season and caught 90 passes for 1,037 yards and six touchdowns. He ranked 13th among wide receivers in receptions and 20th in receiving yards.
The Oregon State product has enjoyed some success against the Jets in his career. Over three games against New York, Cooks has collected 225 yards from scrimmage (75.0 per game) and two touchdowns. He toasted Bryce Hall for a touchdown in Week 12 last season.
Brandin Cooks deep TD catch, great throw by Taylor, Texans up 14-3 pic.twitter.com/SgnbedRxpZ
— Rivers McCown (@riversmccown) November 28, 2021
While Cooks is not a flashy young superstar in the mold of other players rumored to be on the trade block (like A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf, or Deebo Samuel), he can still be a worthwhile addition for the Jets.
Placing Cooks alongside Elijah Moore and Corey Davis would give the Jets a reliable trio of starting receivers to supplement Zach Wilson’s all-important second season. New York would have three quality veterans, avoiding having to take the risk of relying on a rookie wideout to play a crucial role in his first season.
Not to mention, the investment would be relatively minimal, as the Jets would not be tied to Cooks long-term.
With Cooks set to hit free agency after the year, the Jets could still draft a wide receiver with a premium pick in the 2022 draft and focus on developing him to take over a starting role in 2023. The rookie would get the benefit of stepping into an environment where he can develop at his own pace instead of being expected to become a world-beater right off the bat.
The NFL’s wide receiver rumor mill has been spinning nonstop for close to a month now, with the Jets consistently featured at the forefront of it. Could Cooks be the guy who finally ends the Jets’ involvement in trade-talk drama?
