There are six days until the NFL season kicks off. This gives teams less than a week to improve their roster prior to week one which can cause some big trades. We’ve already seen one with Micah Parsons getting traded to the Green Bay Packers. Moe Moton published an article at Bleacher Report going over some of these possibilities, including one involving the Saints.
Moton’s article was published before the Parsons trade. One of his predictions he laid out was the former Cowboy heading to Green Bay. Some of these have less of a chance of happening but it still shows that these trades aren’t off the table.
The Saints have added to their receiving corps over the past few weeks. They traded for Devaughn Vele and signed Trey Palmer off waivers. These moves have bolstered the room to the point where it’s becoming crowded. Moton proposed that the Saints ship off one of these receivers in order to receive some draft capital.
Saints trade Brandin Cooks to the Steelers
Steelers get Brandin Cooks
Saints get 2026 5th round pick
“In his 12th year, Cooks would be a better fit on a playoff-contending squad rather than a team in its early stages of a rebuild with a starting quarterback who has an uncertain short-term future.” Moton's point is true, but it's also something everyone knew before striking a deal this offseason.
On paper this trade makes sense, especially for the Steelers. The Saints replenish some draft capital after sending away a fourth rounder for Vele, and Brandin Cooks gets shipped off to a playoff team. However, New Orleans shouldn’t consider trading Cooks before the season.
Cooks signed a two year, $13 million deal to the Saints this offseason. This shows that the front office sees him as a multi-year contributor. The receiving room has been decimated by injuries in recent years. It’s pivotal that the Saints keep ample depth on the roster. They would still be fine if they traded Cooks, but if an injury occurs it could get worrisome.
It’s paramount that Spencer Rattler, or Tyler Shough, have weapons to throw to. They each are inexperienced and need dynamic players to surround them. Removing Cooks rids the team of another deep threat and valuable option if Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed go down.
Although it makes sense on paper for the Saints to trade Brandin Cooks, they should stay far away. The extra draft capital would be nice but isn’t worth the risk of having a sub-par receiver room if injuries happen. The receiving room is good right now, they shouldn’t change it.