The Los Angeles Rams kept their busy offseason going on with the acquisition of wide receiver Brandin Cooks from the New England Patriots. The trade has provided them with another proven asset in the passing game.
This has also given them a possible replacement for Sammy Watkins as the top receiving option for Pro Bowl quarterback Jared Goff next season. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, this move has also taken the team out of the running to land New York Giants All-Pro wideout Odell Beckham Jr.:
Rams acquiring Brandin Cooks means LA is out on Odell Beckham Jr., and the Giants will need another trade partner to make a deal for the mercurial WR.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 3, 2018
In the last week, the Rams have been linked to Beckham Jr. as the Giants had reportedly become open to listening to offers for him. Los Angeles was one of the first teams to reach out to New York about possibly working out a deal. In fact, the team was believed to be waiting for the Giants to respond to their trade inquiries for Beckham Jr. ahead of the draft later this month.
However, the Rams had reportedly been in trade talks with the Patriots for over the past month prior to the possibility of landing Beckham Jr. recently came into the picture.
Patriots and Rams have discussed a potential Brandin Cooks trade for over a month, before Rams and Giants discussed a potential Odell Beckham Jr. trade. Rams liked this situation better.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 3, 2018
The addition of Cooks is the latest major splash in what’s been a busy offseason that has seen the team acquire the likes of All-Pro cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib, and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. The 24-year-old has proven to be a highly-impactful offensive talent through his first four seasons in the league that can stretch the field with his speed and big-play making ability as a vertical threat in the passing game.
Cooks is coming off another productive campaign with 65 receptions for 1,082 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions. This marked the third straight year with at least 1,000 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches. Cooks is set to enter the fifth-year option of his rookie deal worth roughly $8.5 million for the 2018 campaign.
