Brandin Cooks ready to contribute to 'already special' Dallas Cowboys offense
The Dallas Cowboys finally acquired a big name to match alongside CeeDee Lamb after landing Brandin Cooks from the Houston Texans on Sunday. Cooks spent three years with the Texans but was looking to join a team that could compete for a Super Bowl, which at 3-13-1 last season, Houston was not.
The ninth-year veteran told NFL reporter Aaron Wilson that he’s ready to add to what the Cowboys have already built behind Dak Prescott and Tony Pollard.
“Man, honestly, I just feel blessed for this opportunity to contribute to something that’s already special,” Cooks said. “For the Jones family to believe in me, I look forward to joining something special and I bring that mindset everywhere I go.”
According to NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, the Cowboys had previously looked at signing Cooks.
“They had interest in him for a long time,” Fowler said on ESPN after breaking the news. “He wanted out, wanted to go to a contender. Dallas figured once they got into March and they didn’t love the free agency class necessarily so, they signed Donovan Wilson, that was their priority, and then got to work on the trade market.
“They got Gilmore, they got their cornerback, and now they’ve got Cooks. They finally found this morning a reasonable compensation package that they could be comfortable parting with, the fifth and the sixth round pick, based on the speed that he provides along with CeeDee Lamb. I hear Houston will cover some of the $18 million that’s fully guaranteed. (Dallas) will be on the hook for a chunk of it, but not all of it.”
Cowboys trade fifth, sixth-round picks for veteran wide receiver
Following Fowler’s initial report, ESPN shared that Houston will take $6 million of Cooks’ 2023 salary, leaving Dallas with a bill for $12 million.
The former Oregon State star came into the NFL after going in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. The New Orleans Saints snagged the California native with the 20th overall selection. Ever since, he’s been a reliable, exciting wide receiver but he hasn’t had a long-term home in the league.
Before the trade from the Texans to the Cowboys, Cooks also spent time with the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams. Over the course of his NFL career, he amassed 630 receptions for 8,616 receiving yards and 49 touchdowns. He eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in six of nine seasons.
In 2022, Cooks played in 13 games, racking up 699 yards on 59 receptions with three touchdowns. He missed games due to a calf injury.