If The Source Of Brandin Cooks Trade Talks Is Brandin Cooks Himself Then Brandin Cooks Needs A History Lesson

From our show today: I'm told Brandin Cooks is the driving force behind trade talks. Wants out of #SAINTS offense.

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) March 2, 2017

Let me start by saying that I have my doubts about the authenticity of this game of twitter telephone.  Some would argue that's the fan in me talking, but the fan in you would be skeptical too if far more reliable sources had spent the better part of the last few offseasons trying to convince you that your team's head coach was heading any/elsewhere. The most knowledgable of NFL insiders basically had Sean Payton coaching his own conference by now, so excuse me if I find it a tad shady that the ONLY person reporting this is a guy that caps-locked a hashtag.

Now if (and I can't emphasis how big that "if" is) these rumors have begun spreading because Brandin Cooks has made it known that he's unhappy with his current situation then I feel confident  in saying that - historically speaking - Brandin Cooks is a fucking idiot. Biased Saints' fandom aside, there is over a decade of evidence that proves offensive players are more likely to end up unemployed than more productive after leaving a Drew Brees-led unit that is under Sean Payton's command. Now granted - outside of Jimmy Graham - none of those players I am referencing were as dynamic as someone who has had over 1,100 yards and countless game-breaking plays during the last seasons. However, the ladder that it would take to come to the logical conclusion that being a New Orleans Saint was of detriment to those numbers is missing quite a few rungs. 

Objectively speaking, being a clearcut number 1 receiver in a comically inferior offense with a comically inferior quarterback is simply not as good of a spot to be in as being a 1(b) in a perennial top five offense with a quarterback that doesn't bat an eye when he hits the 5,000 passing yard milestone. Unless Brandin Cooks thinks he's significantly better than being the 7th best wide receiver in the entire league then the stats bear that out. A less understanding person would say that not understanding how good he has it would require either jealousy, selfishness, or a massive ego, but - with Michael Thomas rapidly approaching the upper echelon of NFL pass catchers - I think the main issue here is pride. As harsh as this sounds, I don't really give a shit if Brandin Cooks is in New Orleans next year if what he brings back via trade makes the Saints a more complete team, but I would warn him that pride has ultimately been the downfall of far more accomplished men than himself. I don't know if potentially leaving was originally his idea or not, but if it was then it definitely deserves a second thought.

​Thoughts, Willie...

□ .. #TrustGod #Grateful #NoBetterQBinTheLeague #WhyWouldiLeave #Whodat⚜️ #CatchingPassesFromTheGOAT #MoreReps #NOShade #Adidas

A post shared by Willie Snead IV ⚜ (@needivsnead_83) on Mar 2, 2017 at 5:10pm PST