Brandin Cooks is a veteran, wide-receiver upgrade. He’s all set to step on the field this coming Sunday when his Buffalo Bills take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cooks began the 2023 season with the New Orleans Saints, playing in the first ten games. He was only recently acquired by the Bills, taking the practice field for the first time on Wednesday. At 32 years old, he’ll need to make an offensive renaissance himself, as he gets acclimated to a new team and system.
Cook’s 19 grabs with 165 yards have been modest totals so far this year. This tells us that he’s seen a massive decrease in targets per route run. His current targets per route run are 9.5%. That’s the first time since his rookie season that he’s been under 16%. His air yards per target average is 9.4. This figure really shows the difference as he’s fought to even come close to his past production levels.
After recognizing Cooks as a game-changing type player, Coach Sean McDermott said, “We’ll see,” when questioned about Cooks’ availability for this week’s game. Despite the questions around playing time, Cooks has shown a swift capacity to adjust. He’s had to pick up much of the Bills’ playbook already, something that likely only touches the surface of how impressive his footballing IQ is.
“[Cooks] already basically learned our playbook. He’s an extremely high football IQ guy.” – Josh Allen
In truth, the Saints could not afford to formally release Cooks until Saturday due to contractual complications. This delay made his transition to a new team all the more challenging. The Saints organization had a vested interest in making sure Cooks was found a suitable landing place. They didn’t want to risk him being claimed off waivers.
The prospect of playing alongside quarterback Josh Allen excites Cooks, who stated, “The opportunity to be able to play with Josh [Allen] is, I mean, you can’t pass up the opportunity.” Allen is equally excited by these prospects. He’s spent extra time working with Cooks after practice, but it shows his commitment to creating chemistry ahead of their Week 8 battle royale.
McDermott said he had some history with Cooks, having defended against him several times throughout their NFL careers. This experience will allow Cooks to smoothly integrate with the Bills’ offensive scheme. He’s looking forward to diving into this exciting new chapter.
Cooks said he was thankful for the opportunity to join the Bills, speaking to the team’s growing reputation and culture. He remarked, “All you do is hear about this organization from afar being a special place and how they treat players and it’s all about ball. So, I’m thankful to be here for sure.”
As Cooks dons number 18 for the Bills, previously worn by Elijah Moore before his release, the wide receiver’s readiness to contribute will be closely observed by fans and analysts alike. With a strong performance against the Steelers, Cooks could prove that he remains a valuable asset in the NFL landscape.
Leave a Reply