Brandin Cooks led all New England Patriots wide receivers in snaps, targets, receptions, yards, yards per catch and touchdowns last season. But despite that terrific production, the team still didn’t feel as if Cooks was a true No. 1 receiver nor a great fit in their offense, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. And apparently, Tom Brady isn’t too down about losing his top target last year, either.
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.
This revelation will likely come as a shock to most given Cooks’ strong numbers for the Pats. But it goes to show that there are things that go on within teams that are often tough to pick up on despite the eye test telling otherwise.
Cooks obviously had his share of gifts, most notably his speed and ability to stretch the field, which the Patriots haven’t had consistently since Randy Moss. As it turns out, though, Cooks wasn’t quite as good as the Patriots wanted him to be in their offense to consider him their No. 1 guy.
Given the Patriots’ long track record of success when it comes to evaluating their own players, they should receive the benefit of the doubt when it comes to Cooks. And if there’s any team that can survive the loss of a player with WR1-caliber production (even though they didn’t view him that way), it’s the Pats as long as Brady continues to play at a really high level.
Follow Us
Subscribe