Brandin Cooks, an impressive veteran on this year’s NFL trade market, is starting his second tour of duty with the New Orleans Saints. At 31, Cooks has just put pen to paper on a two-year $13 million contract and is back in the place that drafted him. Cooks put up career lows this season with only 26 receptions for 259 yards. He’s not ready to give up on reentering and resuscitating his career. On Tuesday, Cooks was enthused by the addition of Ted Wrath, the Saints’ new director of sports science. They’d met a few times while Cooks was with the Rams, and that relationship piqued his interest.
The Saints traded Brandin Cooks and a fourth-round pick to the New England Patriots in 2017, just three years into his rookie deal. In exchange, the Saints got New England’s first and third-round selections. Despite the trade, Cooks has never once claimed there was any bad blood between himself and the Saints front office. “Mickey and I have got a lot of respect for one another… It’s just all part of it…. I was young, I was a kid back then and I don’t regret anything. I truly don’t. I’ve exited and done very well. They had a lot of success and it’s just great that you can point to an example where truly a bridge isn’t burned because obviously if that was the case, they wouldn’t be calling back and I wouldn’t be going back,” said Brandin Cooks.
Cooks’ initial tenure with the Saints saw moments of tension, especially toward the end of the 2016 season when he expressed frustration with his role in the offense. After failing to get a target in a win against the Rams, Cooks was vocal about his desire to be more than just a deep threat. Just three weeks later, he gave an unforgettable speech. He had a career-high seven receptions for 186 yards and two touchdowns in a win over the Arizona Cardinals.
And that gamble on New England really paid off in 2017. He finished with a dazzling 1,082 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, making his way onto the field for the Patriots’ Super Bowl LII loss. The next year, he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. He served two seasons with the organization and suffered yet another Super Bowl loss in Super Bowl LIII.
Notwithstanding these shifts around him, Cooks has proven unwavering commitment on his end to improve himself. “I’m constantly investing in my body,” he continued, putting a focus on how serious he is about staying in tip-top shape. His recent revival with the band back home in New Orleans looks set to signal a new development in his career. “Walking the hallways, it was special, definitely, because last time, no wife, no kids,” Cooks reflected on his changed personal circumstances since his first stint with the team.
Cooks to bounce back from a disappointing season with the Dallas Cowboys that was marred by injuries. An infection from a procedure on his right knee ultimately sidelined him, limiting him to just ten games played. Despite the unexpected turn of events, he said it hasn’t shaken his commitment to making an impact in the Big Easy. “My goal is to just show myself, the world, the caliber player that I am…. Just going to play my best ball at Year 12 and putting that on tape,” declared Cooks.
The impact of Ted Wrath, newly hired director of sports science, should prove instrumental for Cooks. “I just believe in his coaching style, his mentality. He brings the best out of his players,” Cooks mentioned about Wrath’s impact. Butch Dill/AP Who would’ve thought that the previous collaboration during Cooks’ Rams tenure would pay dividends this much time later.
Cooks’ confidence in his abilities remains undiminished. “I say this more so, just from a confidence level, not overconfident, but I believe what I bring to a team and I wasn’t surprised that Saints and others wanted to sign me,” he remarked.
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