Full disclosure? I was a bit perturbed when the Saints, after what felt like months of not-so-silently shopping him, flipped Brandin Cooks to the Patriots for the return of the latest of firsts and a mid-round pick swap. It's not so much that I was concerned about Sean Payton finding a way to replace the 1,000+ yards and the (give or take) half dozen touchdowns yards that he brought to the table, but rather the fact that 1,000+ yards and a half dozen touchdowns should - in theory - be worth more at said table. In essence, I thought Brandin Cooks resume was more valuable than Brandin Cooks skill set. I was technically wrong, but considering that - as of yesterday - the two most consistent offenses in the NFL have traded him as opposed to paying him, I wasn't too far off the right track. Brandin Cooks is what he is. A small, speedy wideout who will make big plays, but rarely creates bigs plays. He's an average #1 option statistically, but a high-end #2 option in actuality. He'll might run past a few attempted tackles, but when it comes to taking them on head-to-head a China shop is capable of bulling him out of bounds. Remember, avoiding contact legitimately almost got him both killed and castrated in the same Super Bowl. With a good quarterback throwing him the ball and an offensive-minded coach on the sidelines, he'll continue to have the occasional standpoint performance that makes you wonder why he's become a bit of a journeyman and they'll be surrounded on the schedule by clusters of games in which his role as a footnote will clear that air. He essentially begged his way of New Orleans by complaining about touches in a blowout, only to go to the only other organization that's just as efficient at maximizing their offensive talent...and being used even more sparingly by a team that was otherwise depleted at his position. I don't mean the following as an insult to the type of person or player that he is, but - as good as he is - Brandin Cooks' legend is very much in his own mind. It was annoying that he stomped his feet into a better situation at the time, but there was nothing that led me to believe he was long for a franchise that's proven adept at navigating the salary cap. His numbers will inevitably (and deservingly) command a significant pay raise, but the same can't be said for an impact that's proven inconsistent. Being deemed expendable by two teams with quality quarterbacks in their twilight years in back-to-back off-seasons isn't a good look, especially since - on paper - Brandin Cooks is anything but a bad player. Despite him adding to the reinforcements made by a in-conference contender, the Saints' fan in me is comparable to Tom Brady in the sense that he also isn't concerned about some sort of comeuppance at the hands of a friend turned foe, and that speaks volumes about his value...
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