Saints' Brandin Cooks striving to become Drew Brees' No. 1 option
 

Saints' Brandin Cooks striving to become Drew Brees' No. 1 option: Larry Holder | NOLA.com

Gone are two of the Saints' top three leading receivers, with Jimmy Graham shipped to Seattle and Kenny Stills jettisoned to Miami. Marques Colston is the other player among the top Saints receivers from 2014. But Colston's health and age (32) will probably hamper him from again serving as a No. 1-type wideout in this offense.

That leaves Cooks, the Saints' first-round pick from 2014, as the most viable candidate to emerge as Brees' favorite and most prolific target this season.

Brees or Sean Payton likely won't bestow the No. 1 receiver role upon the former Oregon State standout. And no one would mistake Cooks for far more imposing No. 1 receivers such as Detroit's Calvin Johnson, Atlanta's Julio Jones, Dallas' Dez Bryant or Denver's Demaryius Thomas. Or even young studs like Buffalo's Sammy Watkins or Tampa Bay's Mike Evans from Cooks' draft class.

Re: Saints' Brandin Cooks striving to become Drew Brees' No. 1 option
 

If Antonio Brown and T.Y. Hilton can do it, why can't Cooks? Height is overrated.

Re: Saints' Brandin Cooks striving to become Drew Brees' No. 1 option
 

Why can't we have a few of these guys tied for first? The last number one receiver we had crippled us when he wasn't feeling good and still kept talking Drew into trying to throw it his way regardless of two or three defenders being on him.

Re: Saints' Brandin Cooks striving to become Drew Brees' No. 1 option
 

Unfortunately fantasy prognosticators are mistaking him for those receivers and that unfortunately gets attention from defenses. he's not flying under the radar or sneaking up on anyone. This is 2015.

I'm more excited about Spiller than Cooks. He's the one being slept on.

Re: Saints' Brandin Cooks striving to become Drew Brees' No. 1 option
 

Cooks has taken every step he can to transition from rookie hopeful to primary weapon in the Saints' offense.

Cooks parked himself in San Diego throughout the offseason. He said it was for the perfect weather. But it just so happens a certain Saints quarterback makes his summer residence in that Southern California city as well.

Brees and Cooks spent the entire offseason together, working on routes and timing, and also spent more quality time at the Brees mid-summer academy.

"We trained together in San Diego before coming back out here and that guy was ready to go in February," Brees said in June. "You had to tell him, 'Hey, slow down young buck, we still have some time.' But he has been chomping at the bit.

"Just watching him out here, I see so much progress just from a confidence standpoint, his knowledge of the offense now having been in it for a year and just how explosive he is. He is hard to cover."

Re: Saints' Brandin Cooks striving to become Drew Brees' No. 1 option
 

Brees tried to force the ball to him too much last season.

Re: Saints' Brandin Cooks striving to become Drew Brees' No. 1 option
 

lets see if he can or better yet if SP will let Cook play WR.

Re: Saints' Brandin Cooks striving to become Drew Brees' No. 1 option
 

He'll be great!!!!!

Re: Saints' Brandin Cooks striving to become Drew Brees' No. 1 option
 

The Green Bay game was an example of Cooks flourishing when
A) Brees has time
B) when Sean believes enough to put him in the game plan

He catches everything and wow that separation

Brandon will have to be fleet footed at the line to avoid getting tied up

Re: Saints' Brandin Cooks striving to become Drew Brees' No. 1 option
 

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAAAAAAAAAAS FOOTBALL. BABEEEEEEEEEEE