Once again, if the trade was reversed: the Pats traded their #23 pick for ONE YEAR of Cooks at 8.5m, I would have hated it, and so would most on this board.
And I like Cooks more than most on this board. Very decent outside receiver. But no, he's not 96% of Randy Moss. That's silly. Brady threw to Moss with two DBs all over him and he shrugged them off like toys (Miami game, remember?). When you start talking Calvin Johnson, Randy Moss, you're in rarified air, talking about players who can make plays that weren't there for anyone else, and do it on a regular basis.
The Pats were not going to drop 14-16m+ on Cooks, just like they weren't going to franchise Jimmy G with Brady still starting. BB has been very consistent on this of late (Chandler Jones, Malcolm Butler, even Hightower). They go to the players early for the extension, make their offer, then, whatever.
I doubt BB pushed hard to be rid of Cooks - I never heard him to be a problem in the locker room or anything like that. I suspect, though, that he thought 8.5m with no dead money would be a bit steep price for him, but worth it.
So how in the world does he turn down this trade?
Cooks was a GOOD receiver for the Pats, not great...not with those 3rd down stats, which is the bread-and-butter of a Brady offense. So the fit wasn't perfect for either, and it has to be if you're even thinking about top receiver money. If Cooks was in Pittsburgh with a younger Ben, he'd have truly shined, I think. Systems matter.
