Brandin Cooks Traded To Houston For Draft Pick

Brandin Cooks. Photo Credit: Christopher Michel | Under Creative Commons License
Brandin Cooks. Photo Credit: Christopher Michel | Under Creative Commons License

Brandin Cooks Traded To Houston For 2nd Round Pick

In another move to free up much-needed cap space, the Los Angeles Rams traded Brandin Cooks to the Texans. The Rams will receive the 57th overall pick in this years draft, and the Texans will also get a 2022 fourth-round pick.

In 2018, the Rams acquired Cooks from the New England Patriots in exchange for a first-round pick. They then signed him to a five-year, $81 million contract before the season. His impact was immediately felt and Cooks played a central role in LA’s road to the Super Bowl. In 2018, he set career bests in yards (1,204) and catches (80). Cooks saw a decline in production in 2019, he caught the fewest passes in his career (42) and fewest yards (583) since his rookie season. 

The Rams have had to make some drastic moves when it comes to creating cap space. A harsh reality that has come to a head this off season. The Rams declined to make offers to Dante Fowler and Cory Littleton. They also cut Todd Gurley and Clay Matthews. Creating the space has left the depth chart looking like swiss cheese, but it is a brutal step in the right direction as they find themselves $541,000 over the cap, according to spotrac.com 

Freeing up cap space won’t benefit the Rams this season. It’s a hole that took a few seasons to dig and will take a commensurate amount of time to get out of.

The good news is the Rams still have a solid receiving corps without Cooks. Cooper Kupp has quickly become a star and Robert Woods has been consistent since he joined the Rams. Josh Reynolds has shown potential when given the opportunity to start. The 2020 draft should prove to run deep with pass catchers. The Rams could find some talent in the second or third-rounds in Laviska Shenault Jr. out of Colorado or Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet.Acquiring more draft capital will have the biggest short term impact this season. The Rams have had a total of one first round pick and two second round picks since returning to LA. Les Snead is learning the hard way the value of rookie contracts. While Snead has seen some success through trades and free agency, Snead is top notch at spotting talent in the draft.

Since taking over in 2012 Snead has drafted the following players: Michael Brockers (14th overall), Greg Zuerlein (144 overall), Aaron Donald (13th overall), Todd Gurley (10th overall), Jared Goff (1st overall), and Cooper Kupp (69th overall). Giving Snead another shot in the second round will likely result in a good player and certainly a good shot at filling those swiss cheese depth chart holes.

Brandin Cooks. Photo Credit: Christopher Michel | Under Creative Commons License

Brandin Cooks. Photo Credit: Christopher Michel | Under Creative Commons License