Brandin Cooks is no stranger to being traded as he’s been traded a total of three times since he entered the league back in 2014. The speedy wideout began his career with the New Orleans Saints, was then traded to the New England Patriots in 2017, only to be traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2018. Fast forward to now and Cooks is now a member of the Houston Texans following a trade before the 2020 season. But with the Texans entering a full rebuild, could Cooks be on the move again?
There are reports that the Texans are open to dealing veteran players this year, having already dealt Shaq Lawson to the New York Jets. While Cooks has been open about not wanting another trade, Houston may be willing to listen to offers for the veteran wide receiver.
With teams always searching for ways to improve their receiving corps, here are three teams who should pursue a trade for Cooks.
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions have to be trolling us with who they are going to roll out at wide receiver, right? Following the release of Breshad Perriman, the Lions are now slated to start Tyrell Williams, Kalif Raymond, and rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown out wide. Both T.J. Hockenson and D’Andre Swift are expected to receive expanded roles in the passing game this season.
With Jared Goff replacing Matthew Stafford, Detroit is void of reliable pass-catching weapons at the wide receiver position. So why not add someone in Cooks who has played with Goff before when they were together on the Rams from 2018-2019? Cooks was able to record 80 receptions for 1,204 yards and five touchdowns in his first season with Goff in 2018.
While the Lions may be content with their current group of weapons, adding Brandin Cooks in a trade with the Texans would drastically change the outlook of their aerial attack immediately.
Baltimore Ravens
You can’t say that the Baltimore Ravens didn’t make a concerted effort to improve their passing attack this offseason. Besides the signing of Sammy Watkins, the Ravens took Rashod Bateman in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, Bateman could miss a decent portion of the season after undergoing surgery for a groin injury. Also, Marquise Brown is dealing with an ailment of his own, and it’s not like Watkins has consistently stayed healthy throughout his career.
With Lamar Jackson needing more aerial weapons, Cooks would open up a lot for the Ravens, including more running lanes. Upon the unfortunate loss of J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards is projected to see a heavy workload on the ground. But with Baltimore having their sights set on a Super Bowl, making a move for Cooks would be a wise move as they continue to bolster their offense around Jackson.
Las Vegas Raiders
When a speedy wideout becomes available, leave it to the Las Vegas Raiders to get involved. There hasn’t been much discussion about the Raiders having interest in Cooks, but there’s no way Jon Gruden hasn’t thought about it. Las Vegas took Henry Ruggs in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft in hopes he could be the much-needed field-stretcher he was at Alabama. However, Ruggs would have a quiet rookie season, and the Raiders are anxious to see him bounce back in 2021.
Along with Ruggs, Las Vegas has high expectations for Bryan Edwards as he enters his second year in the NFL. Despite the young group they have right now, the Raiders would benefit from adding a veteran like Brandin Cooks that can be a go-to target for Derek Carr. John Brown signed with Las Vegas in the offseason, but Cooks would be an immediate upgrade over Brown if he were to be traded to the Raiders.
