3 Most Likely Trade Destinations for Brandin Cooks in NFL Offseason

The Houston Texans finished with a 3-13-1 record this past season and have now posted less than five wins in each of the last three years. The end of the rebuild is nowhere in sight given Houston has no head coach and a roster full of unproven players. Wide receiver Brandin Cooks wants no part of it.

Cooks has indicated that he hopes to be traded in the offseason as he does not want to be involved with a losing team at this point in his career. This is nothing new as the Texans tried to trade him at the deadline, but failed to find a deal. Here's a look at three of the most likely destinations for Cooks.

Brandin Cooks Trade Destinations

1. New England Patriots

A reunion between Cooks and the Patriots almost makes too much sense. The veteran wide receiver spent one season under the guidance of Bill Belichick in 2017 before being traded away. He logged 1,082 yards and 7 touchdowns while helping New England reach the Super Bowl. The Patriots enter this offseason with two of their top receivers set to hit free agency in Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor. The offense is in need of a player capable of beating defenders deep down the field or racking up yards after the catch. Cooks has proven capable of both of those feats given he has posted a reception of 50 or more yards in eight of his nine NFL seasons.

2. Baltimore Ravens

Another AFC team in need of a playmaker at the WR position is the Ravens. Baltimore has built a reputation of being a run-first team whether it is Lamar Jackson or another quarterback leading the offense. The drafting of Rashod Bateman was supposed to help shake that narrative, but he has struggled to stay healthy early on in his career. The Ravens ended the 2022 season with the third-fewest receiving yards in the NFL (3,202) and the second-fewest 20-plus yard receptions (33). Cooks would have a chance to be a No. 1 option for a team that has made the playoffs in four of the last five seasons if he is dealt to Baltimore. It seems like the perfect spot for him.

3. Dallas Cowboys

The Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons stick out as NFC teams in need of WR help, but neither one came close to being in playoff contention this season. Going from one bad situation to another is exactly what Cooks wants to avoid. The Cowboys earned the NFC's top Wild Card spot this season and are set to lose both Noah Brown and T.Y. Hilton to free agency. Michael Gallup has yet to show he can be relied on as a No. 2 WR, so seeing Dallas' front office acquire another weapon to put alongside CeeDee Lamb would not be surprising. Cooks has tallied at least 1,000 yards in six of his nine NFL seasons and averages a reliable 13.7 yards per catch in his career.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

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