Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

Multiple teams believe that New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks' name could surface in trade talks this offseason, sources told ESPN.

Cooks has acknowledged frustration with his role in the Saints' offense, expressing himself after a zero-target day against the Los Angeles Rams last week. He believes he is used too often as a clear-out receiver instead of as a primary option, sources told ESPN's Mike Triplett.

Cooks would be one of the most valuable commodities the Saints have and could bring plenty in return.

The Saints have shown they are willing to go big, previously trading tight end Jimmy Graham to the Seattle Seahawks for center Max Unger and a first-round pick.

FWIW from Adam Schefter

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

That would be dumb. The young guys are doing great now partially due to Brees accuracy. As he gets older he is going to need a playmaker like Cooks.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

Really??!! This is the only thing the national media can talk about with the Saints?

Cooks is locked under his rookie contract until the end of the 2018 season.

Both Payton and Brees have waived this silliness off this week.

Let's just spend a minute analyzing this from a football perspective. Cooks has been torching defenses this season. He has two of the top 5 longest TD catches this season. So defenses like the Rams are playing shell coverages that are designed to limit big plays downfield. Cooks is by far the best option to clear out those types of coverages opening up the intermediate windows for Brees to throw into.

Now Payton can change the offensive design a bit if he really wants to feed Cooks. First off is involving Cooks near the line of scrimmage with jet sweeps and bubble screens. Second is to have packages where TommyLee takes over the deep clearout role and put Cooks into the slot so that he gets those intermediate opportunities.

But the bottom line is that Brees is going to go to the open receiver. And Cooks has proved himself dangerous enough that he merits special coverage. Of course with Thomas getting so much production, defensive coordinators are quickly getting into a pick your poison situation. That's going to open up more opportunities for Cooks.

This Cooks being traded discussion is truly a waste of electrons.

SFIAH

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

Then we can draft one a stud is not going to wait until he's the go-to.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

Give them until we start training camp and see how our young crop of receivers look. Cooks would make good trade bait. Let's find out if we hany more new up and coming youngsters on the roster.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

Cook? he is a toy really but SP loves his toys. Lets talk Stephone Anthony gang. If any player makes sense it would be him. He has no role in DA defense it would appear. Still can not believe he appears top be odd man out. what team would be interested? And who?

Pats at the bottom of round 1 for Anthony and our second round pick?

Unless we are talking multi trades here.

Package deal to move up in round 1? Jabrill Peppers S, Michigan? why? Byrd becomes a cap casuality? Tenn maybe? They need speed at WR.

Once again SP loves his toys

Still like the idea of standing pat in round one and drafting Christian McCaffrey. He is a chess piece that would fit SP offense like a glove. Think of him as a larger version of Darren. Talk about a draft pick that would be hard to keep off the field. Sproles. Cook and McCaffrey would pose some mismatches all over the place.

Next move? start reading all over again.

Draft time pipe dreams abound.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

Take Peppers and trade Vaccarro? Bell and Peppers would be solid youth, a few growing pains but could be a great tandem for years to come. Not many S's like Peppers come along very often. Living up here I get to watch him regularly, he passes my eyeball test. Trade Kenny for Peppers a get a 3rd would be perfect. I have no ideal of Anthonys worth in a trade, might be well suited in a 3-4 I imagine, but I'm sure the Saints FO will lose on this 1st round pick.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

Not another one?

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

Speedy and tough. Not worthy of the money he will seek soon. Trade him now why his value is high. It's what the Pats would do.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

I'd be fine with trading Cooks if it made the team better. It's not like clear out guys are hard to come by. Consistency is harder to find. I still think Cooks can be more than just a decoy and would rather see him stay, but if they can find someone to replace his current role, and someone wants to back up the truck to take him away from us, I don't think that would be an offensive idea.

Payton isn't going to say "I can't wait to trade that guy", so anything he says at this point is irrelevant. Of course the Saints will listen to offers. I have no idea what the real interest is for him, though, so I'm not going to waste my time thinking much about it.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

Trade Brandin Cooks? After we invest a first AND third round pick in Cooks?

Where did this originate? How exactly do you process that logic?

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

Bell/Peppers? Any cornerbacks named Celery and Onion available?

:broccoli:

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

Idiot bloggers looking for click bait. Same idiots that had Brees being traded last year.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

If we were to trade him for a first we can just use that for his replacement.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

One of the few times we drafted half way decent. I like Cooks and he is still young as hell. It bothered me that he was complaining about touches in a game that was a blow out but I'm just chalking that up to immaturity.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

Please stop it.

BC isn't gonna be traded.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

First Stills and now Cooks? That would be another big FAIL for Loomis and the FO.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

They apparently brought in Colston to quietly talk to Cooks behind the scenes last week. That alone tells you something. I personally am not that into slagging him, but I kinda get the feeling he's gone after his rookie contract is up.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

They didn't "bring Colston in" to talk with Cooks. Where did you get that idea? Colston and Cooks supposedly talk weekly. People are making WAY too much out of a fictitious controversy created by hacks such as Ian Rapoport and others less reputable (if that is even possible).

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

Let him go.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

Everything is magnified with losing...

Thomas-Cooks-Snead is as good as it gets in the NFL...

Everyone's pushing because of the poor record...

Even Payton is desperate and lost his play calling touch...

Problem is these damn off-season personnel blunder moves where we handicap ourselves...

Mickey should just geaux and ride the Pelicans down the tubes as Team President (after having let Monty geaux) and let Jeff Ireland have sole focus on the Saints...

We're a pair of guards and a defensive end away I tell y'all...

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

I dont mind our recieving corp really the only thing i dont like about them is that they are on the small size my personal preferences are guys above 6ft. I think willes and cooks get out physicaled at times because if the small stature

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

Ireland's GM skills got him fired and we can't say it was Miami when the team is on pace for 9-7 or 10-6.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

Personally Cooks knows elsewhere he has the chance to do better and make more money. These players are not just playing for their team winning, they are also playing for endorsements. I'm sorry but a 37 year old qb is not gonna be your biggest sell to people wanting to invest.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

I could be wrong, but it sure looked as if he is shutting it down and saving himself. If the coaches see the same thing then it's time to deal him off.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

If that's the case, then they should bench him and let him watch the rest of the season from there. Let Coleman and Tommylee the Flea get more snaps.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

Tommy Lee deserves some more snaps, he is one decent block away from springing a punt return. I like that he isn't afraid to run up the gut, a lot of returners just run towards the sideline.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

All good GM's usually miss in their first geaux; I think he'll be even better, especially with the Saints as we've got an absentee owner who's managed by his accountant and a gold digger - exactly the type of vacuum he could thrive...

Miami is not going to win consistently while Ross owns them...

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

We have to keep Cooks. The defense played their hearts out. The play calling sucked today and at times last week but I don't feel like that for the whole season. We are close we just take a step forward in some areas and then other areas fall apart. That is the sign of a young team. Maybe Unger being out caused the shotgun formations on all the 3rd and shorts IDK but we need to keep the core together and add depth and hope there are not as many injuries. I really feel like we r close.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

I agree. Again I will say it. We need Cooks down the road. Brees is starting to show signs of aging. Until now he really hasn't needed star WRs because he was so good they didn't need to be and he would compensate with his accuracy. Now it's time to have those receivers compensate for his decline. Looks like Thomas is gonna be a stud and we all know Cooks can make plays happen.

There is a difference between great players and play makers. Brees has been both. Now it's time for other parts of the offense to start making plays.

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

We all felt like we were going in the right direction at the end of last year as well. I do think our defense is better and getting healthy there will make a big difference, but I guess we will wait til next year...

Re: Brandin Cooks could be offseason trade target
 

A stud is a number one type playmaker. I don't think Cooks is that. And Payton is gonna have so many weapons all over that it will be hard for a aging Brees to rely on just one or two players. Not everyone can be studs. And if that's the case with Brees, he needs a RB and not no Gerhart clone either that's been talked about.