The New England Patriots on Tuesday afternoon made the surprise decision to trade veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a two couple of draft picks headlined by the 23rd overall selection in this year's draft. This move has now put the team without one of the top receiving options for the 2018 season.
Cooks was highly productive in his first lone campaign with the Patriots helping them reach their third Super Bowl in the last four years. However, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network is reporting that the trade of Cooks to Los Angeles was a move that reigning league MVP Tom Brady is reportedly fine with the transaction.
One more note on Brandin Cooks: #Rams are getting an incredibly productive WR who Sean McVay has coveted. But #Patriots didn’t see him as a true No. 1 for them… and from what I understand, Tom Brady is not sad about this move. Despite his numbers, Cooks wasn’t a great fit.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 4, 2018
Cooks had acquiesced himself into a prominent role in the Patriots' passing game, especially with Julian Edelman out of the mix due to a torn ACL, but he struggled to latch onto the top option spot. The front office had hoped bringing the 24-year-old aboard could see him become the No.1 receiving option outside of All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski.
Despite that, he was able to put up a productive campaign hauling in 65 catches for 1,082 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, which marked the third straight year with at least 1,000 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches.
Cooks displayed his big-play ability as he was eighth in the league with 18 catches for at least 20 yards, and tied for second with seven receptions for 40 or more yards.
Brady likely felt at ease given that Edelman is expected to be back in the mix while Gronkowski appears to be committed to playing at least another season. That said, he has made great use of any of the wide receiver situations over the years that has lessened the concern that it will be a detriment to the Patriots' offensive production.
It is a loss of a valuable asset in the passing game, but as Brady has proven over his career he can work effectively with what he has available to him.
Follow Us
Subscribe