5 Key NFL Stories: 4/5/20 – 4/12/20

A look back at some of the NFL’s biggest stories from the past week:

Rams trade Brandin Cooks to Texans: Cooks will don his fourth NFL jersey. Or, to put it another way, that’s uni for every 1,000-yard season he’s had as a pro. Cooks, who won’t turn 27 until September, will do his best to fill the shoes of DeAndre Hopkins in Houston. In a deal that has been widely panned, the Texans gave up a second-round pick to acquire Cooks and a future fourth-round choice, despite Cooks’ troubling history of concussions. Meanwhile, the second round figures to have tons of young WR talent – all for a fraction of Cooks’ cost.

The NFL Draft goes fully virtual: In accordance with travel restrictions and social distancing measures, this year’s NFL Draft will be unlike any other draft we’ve ever seen. Early on, the league planned to have executives submit picks from their respective war rooms. Now, every official will be asked to conduct the draft from their respective homes. Some league figures say they’re concerned about security and potential glitches. Meanwhile, because of the muddle draft process, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert has proposed an additional three rounds for this year’s draft. With days to go before Day 1, Colbert’s idea is unlikely to be instituted, but other aspects of the draft may still be tweaked.

Dolphins favoring Herbert over Tua?: The chatter surrounding the Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa has only gotten louder and louder in recent weeks. Still, there are conflicting reports on the Dolphins intentions. Recently, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report heard that Oregon’s Justin Herbert could be Miami’s real target at No. 5. Of course, this is still smokescreen season, so everything should be taken with a grain of driveway salt.

The end of the XFL?: This time, the XFL could be finished for good. After already calling off its (re)inaugural season midway through, the XFL laid off its entire staff and shut down operations entirely. Officially, Vince McMahon‘s league has not ruled out the chance of a return, but there has been zero discussion about a reboot in 2021.

Antonio Brown hires new representation: Brown hasn’t given up hope of an NFL return. This week, the controversial wide receiver hired a new agent to help make his case to teams. At this time, Brown remains barred from playing and there has been no real momentum towards reinstatement. There’s no telling when the league office will rule on his case, but it’s safe to assume that he will not be cleared to take the field by September.

View Comments (10)