The Houston Texans news this week was dominated by the Brandin Cooks trade.
For the second time this offseason, the Houston Texans news concerning a wide receiver trade was one of the big NFL stories. This time it involved Brandin Cooks.
After trading away DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals last month, the Texans acquired Cooks from the Rams last week.
In combination with each other, these trades don’t make sense. The Texans traded away a more productive receiver who is under contract for three more years at $39.915 million for a less productive player at the same position who is under contract for four years and $47 million.
While both have decent numbers, Hopkins has four seasons with at least 96 catches and five 1,100-yard seasons. Cooks has never caught more than 80 balls in a year but does have four 1,000-yard campaigns himself. Hopkins is a year older.
According to ESPN’s Dianna Russini, Hopkins wanted more money than the Texans wanted to give in an extension, so they traded him. Although Cooks is extremely talented himself, he has a history of concussions. According to NFL.com, Cooks has suffered five known concussions, so that seems to limit his future production.
As can be expected, the internet had a lot to say about this trade.
Houston Texans news about the Brandin Cooks trade from around the FanSided network
Five better options at wide receiver for the Texans than Brandin Cooks – Toro Times, Stephen Forsha
"It is a mystery as to which version of Cooks will be on the field for the Texans and quarterback Deshaun Watson because of concussion issues. After this upcoming season Cooks does have a large price tag, and the Texans draft just might have been able to select a wide receiver near the talents of Cooks for a lot less against future salary cap numbers."
Brandin Cooks trade adds insult to injury – House of Houston, James Mueller
"Is O’Brien’s ego that domineering to where he has to prove a point of getting better production at a lower cost, even it includes trading away a future Hall of Famer?"
Bill O’Brien is clearly over his head as general manager – FanSided, Brad Berreman
"O’Brien has taken on bad contracts for two players who look to be in some decline (Johnson and Cooks) while crying wolf that Hopkins wanted a raise–with three years left on his contract."
Houston Texans news about the Brandin Cooks trade from around the internet
Brandin Cooks trade grades – ESPN, Bill Barnwell
"Even if Cooks returns to his prior form, the Texans seem to operate in a vacuum in which there is no concept of what the other 31 teams are doing or thinking."
Brandin Cooks Trade: Reactions and Analysis – Battle Red Blog, Matt Weston
"Cooks is also redundant with Will Fuller and Kenny Stills in the roster. Each player can do the same type of things."
Was the Brandin Cooks trade another really bad move – SB Nation, Christian D’Andrea and Adam Stites
"The 2020 NFL Draft has an outstanding class of wide receivers. Houston would’ve been much better off using one of its two second-round picks to take one of those prospects."
It’s not as if Brandin Cooks isn’t a talented wide receiver; he is! The concerns for this bit of Texans news are that Cooks isn’t as productive as Hopkins, isn’t a savings over Hopkins, and his significant injury history is worrisome. It will be interesting to see how he fits into the offense and works with Deshaun Watson.