Once again, wide receiver Brandin Cooks is on the move. Last week, the Rams shipped Cooks the Texans, marking the third time he’s been traded since entering the league in 2014. It’s one of the most curious cases in NFL history – Cooks has four 1,000-yard seasons to his credit, yet he’s been passed around at an unprecedented pace. As Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link) notes, running back Eric Dickerson is the only player on record to have been traded more than Cooks. The longtime Rams running back was dealt four times over the course of his career, though two of those trades came in his twilight seasons. Still only 26, Cooks has time to tie – and perhaps beat – the bizarre record. 
The Texans hope that won’t be the case. After trading DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals in a stunning blockbuster, they hope that Cooks will do his part to fill the void and stay for a while. Many, including ESPN.com’s Bill Barnwell, are skeptical. The Texans lost a bonafide superstar in Hopkins in exchange for a package headlined by running back David Johnson and a 2020 second-round pick. To land Cooks (and a 2022 fourth-round pick), they sacrificed a lesser 2020 second-rounder. Putting picks and contractual matters aside, they effectively swapped one of the game’s best receivers for two players with major medical red flags. For Cooks, there’s major concern over his concussion history.
There are arguments to be made for the Texans’ end of the deal. Cooks has age on his side and an impressive resume of his own. The Texans, in theory, could have used the No. 57 pick on one of this year’s ultra-promising wide receivers, but Cooks can be expected to outperform the rookies in the near-term. In short, the Texans unquestionably needed to replace D-Hop after sending him to Arizona. That won’t stop people from scrutinizing that head-scratching trade, but rocket ships don’t have rear views, and nothing short of a thoroughly failed Johnson physical is going to bring Hopkins back to Houston.
It’s also worth noting that the Rams are eating much of the up-front cost of Cooks’ contract, including his $4MM bonus for 2020. While the Texans are slated to pay Cooks $47MM over the next four seasons, only $8MM of that sum is guaranteed.
How do you grade the trade from the Texans’ perspective? Cast your vote below (link for app users) and tell us more about your report card in the comment section.
Give up hopkins for not even a first to land concussion cooks for a 4th and be on the hook for 80 million. Terrible deal
If they cut him at any point, he has no guaranteed money left after this season.
Texans are on the hook for 8mil this season, after which they can cut him if they need to. He is set to make 12mil each of the next 3 years. If he stays healthy and produces than this is a very good deal. I know his health issues and I also know he is known to mail it in at times, so I’m not disagreeing with you, just please know the correct information when you get incensed.
If they cut him they lost a 2nd rounder for nothing.
Exactly. A second rounder for one year.
It’s really not hard to justify. I’m by no means saying trading away Hopkins was good. O’Brien has so much work to do in the deal making aspect. What he did get was a RB who was behind one of the poorest graded lines by PFF last year and yet if they hadn’t swung a deal for Drake and DJ kept pace, he would have had 1400 AP yards and 12 TDs. Then swinging a trade for Cooks who has legitimate concerns but when he is on is really good is probably better than they could have gotten in the draft. And if you’re being honest about it, whoever he selected with that second rounder was going to be judged poorly anyways. Cooks can be cut after 2020 if he is injury riddled and will cost Houston nothing.
When judging this series of deals, you also have to account for what it will cost to keep Tunsil and Watson. It’s likely the rationale for dumping Hopkins. Just remember that Hyde was an August 31st addition and had his best rushing season ever. Johnson is better than Hyde and I think at the end of the season people won’t be bashing the trade as much.
I’d still grade this incomplete.
Well…cutting cooks will cost you the 2nd rounder you gave up for him…so it’s not “nothing”.
I get you likely mean money-wise no dead money to cut him.
I mean cutting that player you traded a second rounder for isn’t what you want but when people talk about the cost of players they forget that teams usually trade for guys they can cut with less sunk cost than the team trading them. Cooks is costing the Rams 22M in dead money this year to play for someone else and I think Gurley is something like 10M. I just think people quickly criticize this as if it’s connected to the Hopkins deal. Yes, you can tie it together and say it’s Hopkins for Cooks and DJ but looking at this deal separately, it isn’t bad to trade for one of the better WR in the league when healthy.
When was he ever a former running back for the Rams?
Zach was referring to Eric Dickerson at that part, not Cooks.
Gotcha thanks for clearing that up for me…
Texans can find a receiver in the draft. Idk why they traded for cooks.
OLINE and WR are deep in this class.
Even if they didn’t get a first for Hopkins they could of grabbed a receiver in the 2nd and a tackle in the 2nd.
The Cardinals pick is 40th and could of drafted Kj Hamlet, Justin Jefferson or Tee Higgins if they fall, Shenault Jr. And then addressed oline or picked someone like Raekwon Davis to add DL with their own 2nd round pick.
Trading your pick for cooks made no sense with a draft class that was deep at WR.
Okay hold up..
What they should’ve done was extend Hopkins by offering him 23mil per year (7mil more than what he was on).
Then they shouldn’t have offered Randall Cobb that contract for 9 mil per year.
Instead they should’ve traded Kenny Stills for Alshon Jeffery and bagged themselves back a third round pick.
Now instead of your WR looking like Cooks Fuller Cobb and Stills. You’ve got Hopkins Fuller Jeffery and Coutee plus a extra third round pick. Plus you haven’t got DJ and Cooks contracts on your books meaning you’ve saved yourself 24mil.
You could then spend that 24mil on 2 year contracts to upgrade your defence and time them to expire so you can pay Watson.
Maybe you go and get Everton Griffin and trade away a third for Geno Atkins.
Put your “Watson money” into these guys and Alshon Jeffery but have a strong team to compete until then
Kenny Stills would offer the Eagles neither the improvement or cap savings to cover any draft pick,let alone a 3rd.
Trading Jeffery offers the Eagles no immediate cap savings.It would eliminate future dead money,but adding Stills would eliminate 7m in rollover next year,and wouldn’t really offer much,if any improvement at all.And waiting to let Jeffery go next year actually gives the Eagles an avenue to create more space.A pre-June 1st cut saves 8m against the cap,plus the negative 7m in rollover,Jeffery for Stills would actually eliminate a possible 15m in cap space for the Eagles,and leaves the same exact hole at the position next year.
I was more thinking Jeffery and the Eagles and Wentz definitely have some rift between them and maybe moving him on now should be a thing. If the Eagles draft a WR and swap Stills for Jeffery it gives the Eagles a happier locker room, a fresh start and potentially more success.
End of the day they are in win now mode and they know what they get with Jeffery, maybe try move the needle and do something cause the eagles have a strong team right now
Texans ownership better get them a GM soon, it doesn’t even matter if they have immediate playoff “success” as in another Wild Card win because O’Brien just sealing picks away left and right on Deals other GMs wouldn’t budge on.
This is strong WR draft class, yes Cooks is a known commodity but he also has nice price tag ( more than a 2nd round rookie ), saving cap should be essential with a pending Tunsil deal, Future Watson Deal.
Cooks coming off an injury riddled season if they had gotten him for 4th & 6th rounders then I could understand.
I mean the Ravens got Marcus Peters for a 5th round pick from the Rams. Now that’s a deal a GM can brag about.
Hopkins wanted to get paid more… I am of the opinion that an extension to pay him more, less then some other deals, but more years. Perhaps $19MM/year over 5 years would have been the best idea. Trading for not much was just such a hall of fame bone head move.
he had way more value then what BOB traded him for … and if they value was not there he should have made him play out another season.
also why did they give up a 2nd for Cooks NO other team was going to give them a second.
and why over pay Cobb ? my fear is this teams wins 10 games and gets a first round exit and the season is chalked up as a success and we get more of BOB the Gm
You know his draft pick was actually traded to from the Cardinals to the Saints. It must had been a sign of things to come.