Brandin Cooks unhappy - should Bill bring Cookie back?

[jah]

How Bourne would react if he is being pushed to the 4th receiver spot? Don’t think he will be happy. That could impact the locker room.

4th receivers aren't really in the mix, and even less so with a team that will run 2 TEs. Harry is being used to block, certainly not in the role for Cooks.

No on eon the Pats is seeing 8 balls a game, let alone the 10-12 most #1s see.

I don't think "we'll have too much depth" is a good reason to pass up on what's probably an upgrade to our WR1. I don't really think it matters even a little bit whether anyone gets 8-12 touches a game, at least not on the scoreboard. A good teammate will recognize that this increases their chances of winning and be less inclined to complain about the ball being spread around.

Also, who's to say Bourne goes to #4? Could be Agholor too...although in all reality, it wouldn't be a defined pecking order. Matchups and injuries would do a lot of the decision making.

Harry's blocking role is a valid point, but maybe not a major enough one to justify keeping him over someone at his position who helps in the passing game. Even if we kept Harry, we could make room on the roster somewhere. We've spent a significant amount of time this season with a roster under 53 players.

 

[ashley]

I see bigger needs at other positions so no for me.

Although I think Cooks would add speed and would be an upgrade, I agree that I would rather target another position of need, specifically, the cb position if possible. This is our weakest position and the one position that has me the most concerned. If not cb, perhaps add a rb for depth.

 

[50-yard-line]

So you just gave the reason why Bill will not trade for Cooks. Cooks role is already filled by a player Bill chose and decided to pay 12M a year.

$11million/year - I like how people always claim it's more for the player when they want to bash BB.

Cooks is on a contract he signed in 2018 at $16.5/year. He's cheap this year, but with a $15.5m cap hit next year AND two void years beyond that. He's better at pure receiving, but he mostly outperforms Agholor because he's been targeted twice as much (7.8 YPT for Cooks, 7.6 YPT for Agholor).

I like Cooks, liked him here. I don't think he's a game-changer, and maybe a bit of an upgrade on Agholor, but not worth the added cost.

 

[Bonzo]

Hell yes he should. The complementary Brandin we need for the offense's true star Brandon: Brandon Bolden.

 

[bigballas]

hows his hurdling?

 

[Sicilian]

Although I think Cooks would add speed and would be an upgrade, I agree that I would rather target another position of need, specifically, the cb position if possible. This is our weakest position and the one position that has me the most concerned. If not cb, perhaps add a rb for depth.

I agree in general, but this might be a case of perfect being the enemy of good. The benefits of adding Cooks would be he's a boon to your WR group who has already been here and knows the system, who isn't making much the rest of the year (while we're tight on cap). If we could get a veteran CB who we knew would fit AND can be squeezed in under the cap, that's absolutely the deal we should make. But I'm not sure one of those is around that I've heard. So I wouldn't want to pass on Cooks just because it's not the ideal upgrade to make. Again, for the right price. Looking at the potential success of our first two picks in this past year's draft, I don't want to lose more than a 3rd for Cooks if that.

 

[amfootball]

We need a CB not a WR.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I agree in general, but this might be a case of perfect being the enemy of good. The benefits of adding Cooks would be he's a boon to your WR group who has already been here and knows the system, who isn't making much the rest of the year (while we're tight on cap). If we could get a veteran CB who we knew would fit AND can be squeezed in under the cap, that's absolutely the deal we should make. But I'm not sure one of those is around that I've heard. So I wouldn't want to pass on Cooks just because it's not the ideal upgrade to make. Again, for the right price. Looking at the potential success of our first two picks in this past year's draft, I don't want to lose more than a 3rd for Cooks if that.

His cap number is only $5.5 million for 2021 and with half the season over it would be $2.75 million so we definitely have enough room for him.

 

[Kontradiction]

And what does the guy you're paying $11/per for two years do?

yeah, that wouldn't destroy the locker room or anything, right?

He shouldn’t be making that much money anyway. But, to answer your question, he slides to flanker. Meyers/Bourne operate of out of the slot if they’re going into 10 or 11 personnel. If they’re going into 2 personnel, the defense needs to shift into Cover-2 in order to match that speed which enables the TEs and either one of Meyers or Bourne to feast down the seam. Outside of Agholor, this is not an offense that scares teams with speed. He’s nullified with safety help on deeper routes.

 

[50-yard-line]

He shouldn’t be making that much money anyway. But, to answer your question, he slides to flanker. Meyers/Bourne operate of out of the slot if they’re going into 10 or 11 personnel. If they’re going into 2 personnel, the defense needs to shift into Cover-2 in order to match that speed which enables the TEs and either one of Meyers or Bourne to feast down the seam. Outside of Agholor, this is not an offense that scares teams with speed. He’s nullified with safety help on deeper routes.

If Cooks is worth 16.5 (starting in 2018 dollars), then Agholor is worth 11.

Yes, he'd add some speed, and I wouldn't be mad if they did it - I just see it as a marginal addition and redundant.

I just read about the Void years - not sure if the Rams eat that or if it was part of the Houston rework. If the latter, they won't let him go for cheap, certainly.

There will be more desperate win-now teams than the Pats vying for his services, I expect.

 

[sean10mm]

Cooks is an odd player, definitely good but never as good as everyone thinks he should be, you know?

Like on paper he's Tyreek Hill 2.0 without the domestic violence, I think he always had a rep for being a hard worker and good guy as well as being stupid fast on paper. But he was never THAT guy, he doesn't separate as much as his 40 tine says he should and he's too one-dimensional just in general.

 

[amfootball]

To trade for Cooks means we have already given up on Nelson. I highly doubt Bill does that given what he is paying Nelson.

 

[Kontradiction]

If Cooks is worth 16.5 (starting in 2018 dollars), then Agholor is worth 11.

Yes, he'd add some speed, and I wouldn't be mad if they did it - I just see it as a marginal addition and redundant.

I just read about the Void years - not sure if the Rams eat that or if it was part of the Houston rework. If the latter, they won't let him go for cheap, certainly.

There will be more desperate win-now teams than the Pats vying for his services, I expect.

We’d only be on the hook for about $3M. We have a rookie QB. His addition would open up the offense, and the playbook, for Mac.

 

[Kontradiction]

To trade for Cooks means we have already given up on Nelson. I highly doubt Bill does that given what he is paying Nelson.

Agholor is a sunk cost, and is ultimately a WR2 anyway.

 

[mikey m]

Send Agholor and Harry for Cooks. Easy. Lol.

 

[Bill Lee]

4th receivers aren't really in the mix, and even less so with a team that will run 2 TEs. Harry is being used to block, certainly not in the role for Cooks.

No on eon the Pats is seeing 8 balls a game, let alone the 10-12 most #1s see.

Indeed, so "I'm unhappy playing for HOU" would quickly become "I'm unhappy playing for NE".

As others wrote, we have bigger needs elsewhere.

The idea we'd get Cooks for one or two late round picks seems unlikely anyhow.

It'd be more like Mo Sanu V2, and we know how this forum feels about that transaction.

 

[50-yard-line]

We’d only be on the hook for about $3M. We have a rookie QB. His addition would open up the offense, and the playbook, for Mac.

That first point is why it almost certainly won't happen.

Whoever gets him, if Houston even trades him, would get a bargain. Ergo, getting him is going to be expensive - probably a day 2 pick, at least. If he leaves Houston, he'll wind up with a team in win-now mode that pays dearly for the extra target. I don't see the Pats doing that.

Again, I'd be happy to be wrong.

 

[Taco]

Still have dreams of a healthy Edelman the year we had Cooks.

 

[Love The Drake]

Send Agholor and Harry for Cooks. Easy. Lol.

Would be absolute genius.
Saving the cap like that.

 

[patfanken]

When I first heard about his issues with Houston my first reaction was to think, "he'd be a great pick up for us"
but after going through this thread, I've come to believe that given our limitations with the cap, and our OTHER problems at CB, its not the move to make right now. He'd be a luxury at WR, when we have necessities in the secondary