The New England Patriots had a better than anticipated season in 2021. No one was truly sure how good the team would be as they handed the franchise over to rookie quarterback Mac Jones. Jones had some up and downs as you would expect from a rookie, but overall, he was excellent.
New England finished the season 10-7, earning a wild card spot in the postseason. Things didn’t go well there, as the Buffalo Bills trounced them 47-17, but it was an encouraging season nonetheless.
Losing offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to the Las Vegas Raiders hurts, but the easiest way to compensate for that is by upgrading the weapons around Jones. While he may not have McDaniels’ expertise anymore, improving the talent will help overcome whatever step back the scheme may take.
New England spent lavishly last offseason, spending as we’ve never seen a Bill Belichick team do. Not having as much cap space this season, the Patriots will have to get creative when upgrading the roster.
One thing they could do is search the trade market for an upgrade. One blockbuster trade that they would love to see happen at Bleacher Report s Brandin Cooks reuniting with the Patriots.
Cooks spent one season with the Patriots in 2017 and had a great campaign. He caught 65 passes for 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns. Still only 28-years old, he showed with the Houston Texans in 2021 that he is still more than capable of being a go-to receiver for a team.
Cooks would bring a true No. 1 receiver skill set to a team that has excellent complementary pieces in place. Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne, Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry would round of a strong skill position group in New England for Jones to get the ball to.
What could it cost for the Patriots to pull off this deal? Bleacher Report would offer a 2022 second-round pick to the rebuilding Texans in exchange for Cooks. Houston was hesitant to trade him previously, but Cooks’ possible frustrations with the franchise’s path to rebuilding, he could be on the move this offseason.
Seeing how much the Patriots have struggled to identify wide receiver talent in the draft, this is a route that makes sense. Cooks is a known commodity and someone the team has familiarity with from the 2017 season. It would be a good match giving Jones the dynamic Cooks to work with to take the next steps in his development in 2022.
