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Brandin Cooks Traded to Cowboys

Cowboys trading for WR Brandin Cooks

Dallas Cowboys get: WR Brandin Cooks
Houston Texans get: 2023 fifth-round pick, 2024 sixth-round pick
Cowboys' grade: A-
Texans' grade: C+
A year ago, the Cowboys made a mistake by trading Amari Cooper to the Browns for cheap. Making this deal for Cooks doesn't rectify that error, but it fills the need the Cooper trade created -- and the Cowboys had to fill it.
Cooks was one of the most reliably productive wide receivers in the league until last year. In 2020 and 2021, he averaged 2.3 and 2.1 yards per route run, respectively. But that number dropped to 1.7 in 2022, albeit it in a poor Houston offense with Davis Mills at QB. His Receiver Tracking Metrics overall score also dropped, from 67 to 60 to 42 over those three seasons. But Cooks -- who is only 29 years old -- was also unhappy in Houston and was frustrated when he wasn't dealt at last year's trade deadline, so that could have affected his play. I like his chances to return to form with the Cowboys.
Crucially, the Texans are taking on $6 million of Cooks' 2023 salary. That means he'll cost $12.5 million in cash this year for the Cowboys and can make $16.5 million in 2024, though that money is not guaranteed. One of the reasons why I like this trade for Dallas is that they had to make a move for a wide receiver, and there weren't a ton of great options out there. For instance, I would much rather pay Cooks $12.5 million than Allen Lazard $11 million. And someone like Jakobi Meyers probably made less sense for Dallas since he plays so frequently in the slot, as does CeeDee Lamb.
The other main reason why this trade is so important is because in the weak NFC, the Cowboys are a top Super Bowl contender. They need to be ready to maximize on the possibility of a break or two going their way, and that means having more than just Lamb and Michael Gallup at receiver -- especially with Dalton Schultz a free agent.
From Houston's perspective, I would trade Cooks for the best price I could get right now -- and presumably this is that. I'm a little surprised the Texans had to eat the $6 million, but less so considering the receiver market this offseason. But they get a deduction in the grade for not trading Cooks at the deadline last season. I don't know what the Texans were offered at the time, but I have to think it was better than two late-round picks. Chase Claypool was dealt for an early second-round pick to a non-contender at that point. By holding onto him for the second half of the year, the Texans failed to take advantage of the value of Cooks' low 2022 salary in terms of trade return and let him get older for nothing, since they weren't in contention for anything last season. -- Walder
What this means for the 2023 draft: This now opens the Cowboys' options at No. 26 overall and could just take the best player available. With holes still remaining at defensive tackle and guard, I think the Cowboys could fortify the trenches. Florida guard O'Cyrus Torrence could be a first-round option, while TCU's Steve Avila makes a lot of sense on Day 2. Addressing interior defensive line could also be an option, and Baylor's Siaki Ika is a Day 2 prospect who could help. -- Reid
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www.espn.com

Grading the NFL offseason's biggest deals: Did Steelers win Allen Robinson trade, or did Rams?

Our experts are evaluating the biggest NFL signings and trades, including Okudah, OBJ, Wagner and Moore.
www.espn.com www.espn.com

You won’t see a good trade grade for us anywhere granted it’s the cowboys
 
Number19 said:
Still think a TE at #12 would be a better fit in the WCO than a deep threat WR; and we have several receivers who fit the slot roll. If we need a vertical threat, pick one up on the third day.
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You need a T.O. type WR to really make the WCO pop, not sure if any of the incoming rookies fit that mold. Not necessarily a deep threat, but better speed than a possession receiver.

Quentin Johnson probably fits the best. Would be nice at 33 if he is still there
 
leebigeztx said:
I've said from the jump and I'm not a poster who act like an insider. Cooks could've been a Cowboy last season for a 2nd. Caserio wanted a 2nd and 4th and Dallas to take salary. Dallas balked and now the Texans get trash picks and still paying salary.
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Cooks is yet another year older now and with more wear and tear. If Dallas balked last year then they were never going to get that second to begin with. Don’t know what the counter was, if any, so the real question is what was the counter (?) and how much salary did they want the Texans to take on. Otherwise just throw the pasta complaints out there and see what sticks, lol.
 
thunderkyss said:
If Texans are paying part of that contract they should get more than the Amari deal
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When Dallas traded Cooper to the Browns, they received a 5th and swapped 6ths and only endured $6M in dead money. Cooper still had 3yrs/$60M left on his contract.

In trading Cooks to Dallas, Caserio got a 5th and 6th while absorbing $22M in dead money.

It's two different transactions but Cooper(28) is not $16M (dead money differential) better than Cooks(29) and the 6th rd pick doesn't move the needle. Plus after 2023, Cooks can be released with no cap hit. The market is what it is, but the vision is what I question.
 
DocBar said:
Metchie will be in the mix this season.
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Texansphan said:
I think his ceiling is Cooks!
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Not being mean spirited or overly pessimistic. But does anyone have any idea what they will get from Metchie? Will he recover his speed and strength? Playing a physical sport, after chemo, how does his body recover from the weekly pounding or will there still be any potential acute bleeding issues? In short. Will he be the same player he was before the diagnosis?

I don't recall any NFL player returning from Leukemia. I'm not a doctor and maybe @CloakNNNdagger can shed some light on APL and what we can expect from Metchie this year.
 
Earl34 said:
Not being mean spirited or overly pessimistic. But does anyone have any idea what they will get from Metchie? Will he recover his speed and strength? Playing a physical sport, after chemo, how does his body recover from the weekly pounding or will there still be any potential acute bleeding issues? In short. Will he be the same player he was before the diagnosis?

I don't recall any NFL player returning from Leukemia. I'm not a doctor and maybe @CloakNNNdagger can shed some light on APL and what we can expect from Metchie this year.
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Quessenberry played some solid football after recovering from cancer . He started every game last season for the Titans.

I’ve seen reports saying Metchie is stronger and healthier.
 
Dejaview said:
Cooks is yet another year older now and with more wear and tear. If Dallas balked last year then they were never going to get that second to begin with. Don’t know what the counter was, if any, so the real question is what was the counter (?) and how much salary did they want the Texans to take on. Otherwise just throw the pasta complaints out there and see what sticks, lol.
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Nah, I know what I know on this one, but its what it is.
 
My gripe with Caserio is that with that cap money, the team is still signing 30 yr old guys on 1 or 2 yr deals. When will he sign a guy who will be in the mix for 4 years like the bengals did with DJ Reader?
 
leebigeztx said:
My gripe with Caserio is that with that cap money, the team is still signing 30 yr old guys on 1 or 2 yr deals. When will he sign a guy who will be in the mix for 4 years like the bengals did with DJ Reader?
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Looks like he's not expecting much for the next year or two & he's preparing the cap for that time
 
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OptimisticTexan said:
he obviously missed the memo that he was traded to the Cowboys, not the Eagles.
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He was confused because it makes no sense he would want to play for a team living in the past, the 20th century.

The Texans are moving up,under their new hc while the dallas "one and done" cowboys are always looking into their rear view mirror.
Yea cooks thought he was going to Philly. Yikes what shock that young man will have, it's sad.
 
Earl34 said:
Not being mean spirited or overly pessimistic. But does anyone have any idea what they will get from Metchie? Will he recover his speed and strength? Playing a physical sport, after chemo, how does his body recover from the weekly pounding or will there still be any potential acute bleeding issues? In short. Will he be the same player he was before the diagnosis?

I don't recall any NFL player returning from Leukemia. I'm not a doctor and maybe @CloakNNNdagger can shed some light on APL and what we can expect from Metchie this year.
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Nobody knows what the Texans will get from Metchie, even before getting the leukemia diagnosis. CnD has stated that he expects a full recovery from it.
leebigeztx said:
My gripe with Caserio is that with that cap money, the team is still signing 30 yr old guys on 1 or 2 yr deals. When will he sign a guy who will be in the mix for 4 years like the bengals did with DJ Reader?
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The Texans are more than a few players away from competing for a AFCCG. IMO, Caserio is bringing in veteran leadership that will, hopefully, teach the younger guys how to be pros and lay the foundation for the culture Caserio/Ryans wants for the team.
 
DocBar said:
The Texans are more than a few players away from competing for a AFCCG. IMO, Caserio is bringing in veteran leadership that will, hopefully, teach the younger guys how to be pros and lay the foundation for the culture Caserio/Ryans wants for the team.
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I’d be more inclined to buy that if he hadn’t been doing it this way for a 3 straight years.
 
Speedy said:
I’d be more inclined to buy that if he hadn’t been doing it this way for a 3 straight years.
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I get it, but the team has been full of holes during those years and when Caserio got here, the Texans were in cap hell. I'm looking at the long-term situation. Building the team through the draft isn't a one- or two-year project. Caserio was hamstrung during 2021 by the trade for Tunsil. He also inherited a team bereft of talent, thanks to OB. It's hard to overstate how much damage OB did to the Texans.
 
DocBar said:
I get it, but the team has been full of holes during those years and when Caserio got here, the Texans were in cap hell. I'm looking at the long-term situation. Building the team through the draft isn't a one- or two-year project. Caserio was hamstrung during 2021 by the trade for Tunsil. He also inherited a team bereft of talent, thanks to OB. It's hard to overstate how much damage OB did to the Texans.
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I agree, this team was a mess and Caserio had a lot of work to do. We are going to build through the draft, and he isn't signing any big name free agents because we aren't even close to winning a SB. Now once we have built up our talent and are one or 2 players away then yes I'm sure he will make a big splash in FA. But right now there is no point.
 
Lucky said:
You're already assuming these are bad picks? Why the Caserio hate?

Quentin Johnston
AT Perry
Rashee Rice
Cedric Tillman
Jonathan Mingo

Receivers expected to go the first 2 days that have the look of traditional WCO WRs.

I don't think so. The Cowboys did the Texans a solid by taking Cooks before the draft.
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That's true, guess I can see why the picks aren't 3's or better
 
leebigeztx said:
When will he sign a guy who will be in the mix for 4 years like the bengals did with DJ Reader?
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I keep hearing this from folks but it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Give me a time in NC's tenure here when that could've happened and it would've made sense and/or a huge difference in what this team has been able to accomplish over the last 2-3 years & I might be inclined to agree with you. Other than that, its just speculation that this team needs to go this route.

Hell even if he had been able to do it for a few choice playmakers in previous years, those guys would likely be coming up for new deals/extensions by this time..... which would essentially make them 1-2 year deals ANYWAY. & that's if those guys were worth keeping around and/or wanted to be here long term. Getting them here is only part of the job..gotta be able to keep them here too. History also says that most of these guys signing these big 4-5 year deals in FA don't make it to the ends of those deals for 1 reason or another.

Reader wasn't this splashy signing by Bengals......We here knew what kind of player he was, pretty positive Bengals fans nor the media at large knew it tho. Even still, it didn't prove to be fruitful for them until Burrow began ascending...& as you know, we don't have our franchise guy yet.
 
Earl34 said:
Not being mean spirited or overly pessimistic. But does anyone have any idea what they will get from Metchie? Will he recover his speed and strength? Playing a physical sport, after chemo, how does his body recover from the weekly pounding or will there still be any potential acute bleeding issues? In short. Will he be the same player he was before the diagnosis?

I don't recall any NFL player returning from Leukemia. I'm not a doctor and maybe @CloakNNNdagger can shed some light on APL and what we can expect from Metchie this year.
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I don't see his Leukemic history being the limiting factor, other than the need for greater attention to game level conditioning. The real concerning factor, as I have posted in the past, are several studies demonstrating significant post ACL performance decreases in WRs.

Here is just one of them published in Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation [April 2022]



Post-ACL reconstruction in Cases Versus Postindex Year in Controls

Empty CellAfter ACLAfter Index YearP Value
NFL experience1.59 ± 1.383.76 ± 2.38<.0001
Games played17.59 ± 20.0250.21 ± 37.34<.0001
Games played per seasons7.38 ± 6.2811.52 ± 4.82.007
Targets86.38 ± 121.70284.62 ± 286.49.001
Targets per game3.01 ± 3.104.64 ± 2.67.036
Reception51.34 ± 74.00165.59 ± 172.36.002
Reception per game1.83 ± 2.002.71 ± 1.61.070
Catch%40.08 ± 29.4852.49 ± 19.84.065
Receiving681.31 ± 983.462,139.76 ± 2,144.00.002
Yards per reception9.73 ± 7.3211.86 ± 4.47.19
Rec yards per game23.21 ± 24.4435.92 ± 21.98.042
Rec yards per season287.91 ± 363.13471.43 ± 321.25.046
Touchdowns4.31 ± 6.8413.55 ± 14.41.003
Yards per target5.41 ± 3.876.86 ± 2.56.098
Fantasy points receiving yards68.13 ± 98.35213.98 ± 214.40.002
Fantasy points touchdowns25.86 ± 41.0181.31 ± 86.47.003
Fantasy points receptions51.34 ± 73.98165.59 ± 172.36.002
Fantasy points total points145.34 ± 211.55460.87 ± 466.75.002
Points per game4.97 ± 5.307.71 ± 4.72.042
Points per season61.51 ± 77.64101.04 ± 68.49.044

Bold values are statistically significant P < .05.
ACL, anterior cruciate ligament; NFL, National Football League; WR, wide receiver.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
I don't see his Leukemic history being the limiting factor, other than the need for greater attention to game level conditioning. The real concerning factor, as I have posted in the past, are several studies demonstrating significant post ACL performance decreases in WRs.

Here is just one of them published in Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation [April 2022]



Post-ACL reconstruction in Cases Versus Postindex Year in Controls

Empty CellAfter ACLAfter Index YearP Value
NFL experience1.59 ± 1.383.76 ± 2.38<.0001
Games played17.59 ± 20.0250.21 ± 37.34<.0001
Games played per seasons7.38 ± 6.2811.52 ± 4.82.007
Targets86.38 ± 121.70284.62 ± 286.49.001
Targets per game3.01 ± 3.104.64 ± 2.67.036
Reception51.34 ± 74.00165.59 ± 172.36.002
Reception per game1.83 ± 2.002.71 ± 1.61.070
Catch%40.08 ± 29.4852.49 ± 19.84.065
Receiving681.31 ± 983.462,139.76 ± 2,144.00.002
Yards per reception9.73 ± 7.3211.86 ± 4.47.19
Rec yards per game23.21 ± 24.4435.92 ± 21.98.042
Rec yards per season287.91 ± 363.13471.43 ± 321.25.046
Touchdowns4.31 ± 6.8413.55 ± 14.41.003
Yards per target5.41 ± 3.876.86 ± 2.56.098
Fantasy points receiving yards68.13 ± 98.35213.98 ± 214.40.002
Fantasy points touchdowns25.86 ± 41.0181.31 ± 86.47.003
Fantasy points receptions51.34 ± 73.98165.59 ± 172.36.002
Fantasy points total points145.34 ± 211.55460.87 ± 466.75.002
Points per game4.97 ± 5.307.71 ± 4.72.042
Points per season61.51 ± 77.64101.04 ± 68.49.044
Bold values are statistically significant P < .05.

ACL, anterior cruciate ligament; NFL, National Football League; WR, wide receiver.
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I'll never understand this. Do the Texans not have the same access to the data? I'll never understand the Stingley and Metchie picks. A first and a second round pick wasted.
 
14. Dallas. The Sunday acquisition of Brandin Cooks sets what I believe to be an NFL record: Cooks is the first player to be traded four times before turning 30.

I’d be bullish on this trade if I were Dak Prescott. Here’s why: Cooks just finished three years with the Texans—one year with Deshaun Watson, one year with Davis Mills/Tyrod Taylor, and the last year with Mills. He averaged 76 catches a year with the Texans in the midst of the QB mayhem. He’s on the last year of a bloated two-year, $39.6-million contract, but the Texans will pay $6 million of the $18 million he’s due this year, and the deal cost the Cowboys fifth- and sixth-round picks. I think it’s a smart trade for both teams. Houston clears out a big salary and deals a player who wasn’t happy being there. The Texans now have a league-high 13 picks in the April draft.
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FMIA

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com profootballtalk.nbcsports.com
 
IDEXAN said:
That's amazing !
Just goes to show that there's always a demand for talent and no doubt that Cooks is talented but he's a real pain in the azz.
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Traded 4 times. Yet teammates say he's a great dude, and teammate. I smell poop. If a player has been traded 4 times like Cooks has, there is an issue, imo. But yet, all I can remember about him being a pain in the jazz is him trying to be a wanna be diva WR at the end of last year. "Trade me, wah, wah, wah!"
 
austins23 said:
Traded 4 times. Yet teammates say he's a great dude, and teammate. I smell poop. If a player has been traded 4 times like Cooks has, there is an issue, imo. But yet, all I can remember about him being a pain in the jazz is him trying to be a wanna be diva WR at the end of last year. "Trade me, wah, wah, wah!"
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Yeah it's total bullshit. Something is wrong with that guy.
 
banned1976 said:
I'll never understand this. Do the Texans not have the same access to the data? I'll never understand the Stingley and Metchie picks. A first and a second round pick wasted.
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I can see your opinion of Stingley being a wasted pick because he was hurt in college and was hurt for a good part of his rookie season.

Explain to me how Metchie is a wasted pick?
 
austins23 said:
Traded 4 times. Yet teammates say he's a great dude, and teammate. I smell poop. If a player has been traded 4 times like Cooks has, there is an issue, imo. But yet, all I can remember about him being a pain in the jazz is him trying to be a wanna be diva WR at the end of last year. "Trade me, wah, wah, wah!"
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Eric Dickerson was also traded 4 times
 
JB said:
Eric Dickerson was also traded 4 times
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That's playing the semantics game. He played 9 years for the Rams and Colts. Was traded in the twilight of his career at 32 to the Raiders and again at 33 to the Falcons, who traded him that same season to the Packers. He never played a game for the Packers because he retired.
 
sandman said:
I can see your opinion of Stingley being a wasted pick because he was hurt in college and was hurt for a good part of his rookie season.

Explain to me how Metchie is a wasted pick?
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Metchie only played 2 games in 2021 due to a knee injury. Anyway, "wasted" is a bit harsh. He was a risk. Hopefully he was worth it.
 
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