Disappointing Trade Should Have Saints Searching For Another Receiver
By Dayton Brown
A questionable trade leaves a void to be filled at the WR position. Let’s hope the New Orleans Saints make a move.
Brandin Cooks hauled in 8 touchdowns to go along with over 1,100 receiving yards last season for the New Orleans Saints. Now, the 3rd year man out of Oregon State is a New England Patriot. After moving up in the 2014 draft to select Cooks, leading fans to believe that he would be a part of the future core of the team, general manager Mickey Loomis dealt the speedy receiver.
Cooks was packaged with a 4th round pick (118th overall) in exchange for the Patriots’ 1st round pick (32nd overall) and 3rd round pick (103rd overall) in the upcoming draft. On paper, that is an absolute steal for the Patriots. New Orleans could have (according to rumors) gotten either the 14th or 18th overall pick (from Tennessee and Philadelphia, respectively) in return for Cooks. Instead, they get the final pick of the first round and move up a bit from their 4th rounder.
This move obviously has Saints fans in shocking misery and Patriots fans in a state of pure bliss. It’s hard to look on the bright side and look forward, Who Dat Nation. But that’s what we must do at this point. Loomis may have a fantastic plan for the team moving forward. The chances of him trading Cooks for a possible rebuild are slim, especially after the great moves the team made on the first day of free agency. The team could dip into their $20+ million cap space money to sign another receiver, or draft a replacement for Cooks. There are a few good options, so let’s take a look.
Possible Replacements
With money to spend, Loomis could very well sign a free agent wide receiver within the next few days. Problem is, most of the good ones are taken. Alshon Jeffery went to the Eagles, DeSean Jackson went to the Buccaneers, Terrelle Pryor went to the Redskins, and even Kenny Britt went to the Browns.
There is one decent option left on the market: Kamar Aiken. Aiken was undrafted out of Central Florida in 2011, showing how hard he has had to work to become prominent in the league today. 2015 was a breakout year for Aiken: he started 14 games, caught 75 balls for 944 yards and 5 TDs. Even though his numbers declined in 2016, he still brings quickness and height to a receiving core now lacking both of those attributes. A nicely structured contract would help the team on the field and financially.
However, there seem to be better options in the draft.
More from Who Dat Dish
- Are the Saints playoff contenders or pretenders in 2022?
- 3 takeaways from Saints unofficial depth chart ahead of preseason opener
- Saints 2022 Training Camp: Top 5 takeaways from Day 13
- 3 things to know about new Saints QB K.J. Costello
- Kirk Merritt could be a difficult player for the Saints to cut
With two first round picks in their pockets, the Saints have a couple of different options. If the want a guy like John Ross, who recently broke the NFL Combine record with a 4.22 40-yard dash, they would have to use their 11th overall pick to select him. Ross would fill Cooks’ void right away, with flashy speed and great hands, especially in the red zone and open field.
However, Ross’ draft stock has risen ten-fold since the combine, so he could be taken before the 11th spot. New Orleans could package their 11th pick with other assets and move up to secure Ross, but most fans would much rather have the team focus that pick on the defensive side of the ball. The good news is guys like Dede Westbrook out of Oklahoma and Juju Smith-Schuster out of USC will more than likely be available when the Saints are selecting at #32. Both studs are fast and over 6 feet tall. Either of the three rookies would help out quarterback Drew Brees right away and for years to come. They could fill the spot left by Cooks and provide even more to the team.
The final options for the team would be to make some sort of alternative trade for another receiver.
That move seems pointless, but Loomis could work some magic and get a top-20 receiver for a 1st and 4th or maybe 3rd round pick. At this time, a trade would be unlikely. But it’s not out of the question.
Cooks and his speed, his passion and his bow-and-arrow celebration will be missed. He electrified the Dome multiple times in his two short years with New Orleans. We wish him all the luck with the Patriots (besides, of course, when the two teams meet up this season). Mickey Loomis and other front office personnel have to look at a replacement for Cooks, considering the team got only draft picks out of the deal and no players. Whether it be free agency, the draft, or another wild trade, the receiving core needs another player to help keep Brees and the offense running at historical power.