Since the Los Angeles Rams acquired star wide receiver Brandin Cooks from the New England Patriots earlier this offseason, there has been an undercurrent that the team held some significant interest to get him under a new extension to keep him for the long haul.
This had finally come to fruition on Tuesday afternoon after he inked a five-year, $80 million deal that effectively runs through the 2023 season. According to Rich Hammond of The Orange County Register, Cooks voiced that he knew he wanted to be with Los Angeles long-term as soon as he got into the building.
Brandin Cooks said he knew as soon as he got into the Rams' building, after the trade, that he wanted to stay with the Rams. Very comfortable.
— Rich Hammond (@Rich_Hammond) July 17, 2018
The Rams have taken a complete 180 turn since the arrival of head coach Sean McVay as he has quickly developed an infectious environment and culture around the organization. It has played a significant part in helping the team experience a huge amount of success in the 2017 campaign with their first playoff appearance and NFC West division title in well over a decade.
All of this had likely made it a simple decision for Cooks to sign a long-term extension to be a part of a team on the rise that could become a serious Super Bowl contender next season. The 24-year-old has a chance to emerge as the primary target in the passing game for Pro Bowl quarterback Jared Goff, who has continued to develop into one of the league's top young talents at his position.
Cooks has proven to be a game-changing factor in the passing game through his first four years in the league as both and Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro wideout Antonio Brown are the only players to post an active streak of three straight years with at least 1,000 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions.
He is a legitimate deep-ball threat that could help take the Rams offense to the next level while being a staple in the game plan for the next several seasons.
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