The 2019 NFL season was a disappointing one for the Los Angeles Rams overall after falling short of the playoffs.
For the Rams, it had been a major step back from making a trip to the Super Bowl just a year before. Meanwhile, wide receiver Brandin Cooks also appeared to have regressed with his underwhelming production last season.
Despite being pegged as the No. 1 option in the passing game, Cooks was hardly its most viable weapon after hauling in just 42 receptions for 583 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games. It seems he is well aware that these numbers are a far cry from what he has become accustomed to putting up in his career.
Cooks is now rather determined to spark a potential trial resurgence in the 2020 NFL season, via Doug Farrar of USA Today:
“For me, I have that feeling like somebody took something away from me,” Cooks said. “It’s something that’s so important, you want to do whatever it takes to get back to where you were, and better. For us as a team, you look at the fact that the year before, we went to the Super Bowl, and last year, we went through a lot of ups and downs. Personally, I just want to be the best I can possibly be to help my team get out of some of those situations. I feel like I truly am more hungry — like that hunger I had before I made it into the league. That fight and that want and that desire from my childhood has risen back to the surface after what went on last year.”
Cooks added that the onus will fall on the Rams to find the same type of continuity that they enjoyed in 2018:
“It was one of those things where, how to we find the way to get back to our consistent play?” Cooks said. “There were too many inconsistencies last year. We’d show why we are one of the best teams in the league, and then, the next week, we’d show why we shouldn’t be playing in the playoffs. We know it’s there, but how consistent can we be? That’s the biggest thing.”
Los Angeles made quite the investment to secure Cooks as their long-term, go-to option for quarterback Jared Goff. Unfortunately, he largely served as a complementary option to wide receivers Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp during the 2019 campaign.
Of course, Cook’s struggles could be attributed to the concussion he suffered during the year and his track record with head injuries has raised plenty of speculation regarding his health in the future. Regardless, his comments indicate that he is fully prepared to try and get back on track for the 2020 NFL season.
The Rams have ushered in some significant changes to their coaching staff this offseason with the arrival of offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell. It will be interesting to see if Cooks is able to take back his integral role in the receiving corps moving forward.
