Apparently Brandin Cooks Is Drawing Trade Interest From The Eagles And Titans

Saints WR Brandin Cooks is the object of trade talks with the Titans and Eagles identified as two interested suitors, per league sources.

— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) March 2, 2017

Titans appear to be most likely suitor over Eagles, per one source, but nothing can be official until March 9, if it happens. @ESPNNFL

— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) March 2, 2017

The more I hear, it sounds like a Brandin Cooks trade would be a huge deal. 1st rounders involved.

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) March 2, 2017

I don't know how Brandin Cooks would feel about becoming the #1 wide receiver of the Philadelphia Eagles or the Tennessee Titans, but I'll tell you this - if he's not happy with either of those scenarios coming to fruition then he only has himself to blame. I don't exactly have my ear to the door of the Saints' front office, but I would imagine the calls regarding Brandin Cooks are incoming. As productive as Sean Payton and Drew Brees have been at running an unstoppable offensive infantry regardless of their weaponry, I see very little reason for them to be desperate to move on from a 23 year old that has over 1,100 yards and 8 touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. I'm not saying that they wouldn't - or even shouldn't - do it, but if it does happen then it was likely set in motion by inquiring teams that took notice when Brandin Cooks started pandering for more targets on social media. You didn't hear a peep about breaking up the most youthful, prolific trio of wideouts in the NFL before he started babbling about "business decisions" so if he's on the undesirable end of one of them then the mirror will quickly become his worst enemy. 

Personally? I am skeptical about trading a guy who is basically a touchdown waiting to happen at any given yard marker. Drew Brees certainly still has it in him to make the players around him better, but it was kind of nice that he didn't have to with the emergence of Michael Thomas as a go-to stud. Brandin Cooks - for all intents and purposes - is a (great) #2 wide receiver so he's not the type of guy that gets treated as untouchable, but I sure as hell hope they get more than a draft pick that's only two spots better than what they originally spent on him. The Saints defense - as always - needs more help than their offense, but if the plan is for that help to come via a mid-first round pick in a draft that is historically a crap shoot than that plan is too risky. Moving up to the Titans spot at 5 and getting a true game changer on the other side of the ball definitely intrigues me, but not enough to think that Mickey Loomis should be moving a proven asset unless he receives an offer that absolutely blows him away.