NFL News Brandin Cooks released (signed by Bills)

[dannydyn]

Sign? Familiar with McDaniels' system.

 

[Hugepatsfan]

Will copy what I said in general new thread here:

I'm indifferent on Cooks. For most of the season, they've had all 6 WRs active on gameday. Chism hasn't looked very impressive as a returner though so I have to imagine someone else could do that. They could cut Chism and sign him to the practice squad (I doubt anyone claims him) and give Cooks that 53 man roster spot. He (Cooks) looks like a shell of his former self obviously, but he's playing in a bad team situation Williams has looked awful on a good team situation so far. I find it hard to argue that Cooks couldn't be an upgrade over Williams for the rest of this year, however marginal an upgrade that is. It'd be a one year deal so Williams can reset in year 2 - it's not a death sentence to his career here by any stretch.

HOWEVER, I do think we're talking pretty marginal improvement and maybe it does click for Williams over the next 7 games if you keep feeding him opportunities. His upside is higher. Hollins is playing like a pretty competent WR3 and Douglas is playing well enough to be a solid WR4 right now so we're talking about a clear WR5 type of role here. I don't think Cooks overtakes any of those guys, so maybe better to just stick with Williams getting scrap snaps in hopes of a breakout, however unlikely that looks for this year.

 

[Patsfan1645]

In before the cult of verticality!

the cult of verticality!
the cult of verticality!
the cult of.................. verticality!

 

[Patsfan1645]

I'm a pass on a 32yo 5'10 receiver. What does he truly bring that's an upgrade? Who would you pull out of the lineup for him? Only one getting playing time now that I would consider is Williams and if Boutte is back this week its back to a very limited snap count for Williams. We need to roll with Diggs, Hollins, Pop and Boutte 95% of the time. Williams should get shelfed until he can learn how to play WR in this system or just let him get vertical a few plays a game.

 

[Rob0729]

In first with the "Brandin Cooks is cooked".

The guy is done. The guy hasn't been a 1,000 WR since 2021. He has been crap the last few years. Not sure guy could even make the Patriots roster right now.

 

[n1997y]

He’s cooked. Not really interested. Unless he can return kicks better than EFCIII?

 

[NFL Mystique]

His boneheaded leap in the SB cost the Patriots points and an extra receiver. He goes from team to team. Something isn't right.

Buffalo could use him.

 

[Steve102]

 

[signbabybrady]

 

[Pape]

2024? Hell yeah
2025? nah, i'm good... we should bring him in, kick the tires, jic though

 

[hornetfb85]

How in thee **** is this dude only 32. Feels like he’s been around for 25 years.

 

[imahobgoblin]

No, No, No. How is be better at this point than Diggs, Boutte, Pop, or Hollins? Williams is a draft pick and not going anywhere. So who are you cutting?

 

[imahobgoblin]

I'm a pass on a 32yo 5'10 receiver. What does he truly bring that's an upgrade? Who would you pull out of the lineup for him? Only one getting playing time now that I would consider is Williams and if Boutte is back this week its back to a very limited snap count for Williams. We need to roll with Diggs, Hollins, Pop and Boutte 95% of the time. Williams should get shelfed until he can learn how to play WR in this system or just let him get vertical a few plays a game.

No you don't shelf Williams. That is idiotic. You let him progress and get reps. He can't learn on the shelf.

 

[Water Boy]

 

[sb1]

Nah. We’re not that desperate anymore.

 

[Hugepatsfan]

I think I'm one of the younger posters here but I'm still old enough to remember Bethel Johnson as the #4 WR behind Branch/Givens/Brown scoring a 40 yard touchdown against TEN in the divisional round in a game we went on to win by only 3 points on our path to a championship. Even depth players can make a play that means the difference between winning and losing a playoff game.

Kyle Williams has been playing a lot since the Boutte injury but even before that he was getting 10-15 snaps each week and he's been very bad, consistently looking out of place and not in synch with the rest of the offense. We're 9-2 and going to be in the playoffs. It's very possible that one or two plays made/not made on those 10 snaps a game can be the difference for us. I'm not at all ready to give up on his career yet, but I don't feel at all comfortable putting him out there in big situations and IMO we're too good this year to be playing guys clearly not ready yet just for developmental purposes. It's one thing to prioritize playing young guys who might F up here and there but make their fair share of plays, but throwing guys out there who look clueless for be big regular season games and PLAYOFF games should be out of the question right now IMO. Not when you're this good. Let the guys not at all ready to play yet by this point have a redshirt year the rest of the way.

If they think Cooks can give them more than they're getting on those 10-15 snap a games, I say they should go for it. He has familiarity in the offense and his route tree/physical profile would seem to fit well for whatever it is they're trying to get Williams to do on the snaps he's out there. He'd probably even be a good mentor for him.

 

[Betterthanmost]

If a need comes, OBJ may be better.

 

[PatsFan2]

Cookie??

 

[Ross12]

I’d be fine with having him on the PS since he has experience. Would be a fine “break glass” option.

 

[Hugepatsfan]

If a need comes, OBJ may be better.

Can't see that at all. He hasn't been on a team this year and he's never played in McDaniels' offense that can be notoriously tough to learn for WRs. Cooks is in game shape and has experience with the playbook, admittedly a Brady version of it but I'm sure terminology and all that is rooted in some of the same things. Even if you go back, Cooks was better than OBJ last year too.

You never know, but I can't fathom that OBJ would be a better add than Cooks. And that's not even to say Cooks would be a good add himself, he may well be TOTALLY washed.