The Los Angeles Rams have been by far and away the most aggressive team in the offseason. The Rams front office transformed the roster’s defense by adding top-flight cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib while also agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.
With all the additions to the team’s defense, it was only a matter of time before general manager Les Snead turned his attention toward filling the hole at the wide receiver position after the departure of receiver Sammy Watkins. In another blockbuster deal, Los Angeles decided to ship away two of their draft picks to acquire wide receiver Brandin Cooks from the New England Patriots.
Now, according to Steve Wyche of NFL Network, the Rams are reportedly planning on extending Cooks prior to the 2018 NFL season:
The Rams plan on signing recently acquired WR Brandin Cooks to an extension before the season, according to a team source. Cooks is scheduled to earn $8.5 on the final year of his deal in 2018. He's part of the long-term plan, which is why they traded a No. 1 for him.
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) April 4, 2018
Extending Cooks makes sense given what the Rams had to give up in order to acquire him plus the fact that Watkins left the team in free agency as he was in the same situation. Cooks, who is still only 24 years old, is playing on the fifth year of his rookie contract and will demand near market value given what players like Watkins and Allen Robinson made.
Still, it is encouraging to see Los Angeles go all-in on a Super Bowl run as they have a talented young nucleus in Jared Goff, Todd Gurley and Aaron Donald. With a revamped roster across the board, the Rams have all the makings of a championship contender.
