FOXBORO, Mass. — New England Patriots wide receiver Brandin Cooks has earned some alone time with his quarterback this summer, and it’s clearly paying off.
Cooks has starred in the Patriots’ two joint practices with the Jacksonville Jaguars, scoring four touchdowns. He caught two deep passes for scores from quarterback Tom Brady and snagged a one-handed touchdown Monday. He added another touchdown Tuesday.
Cooks’ speed has been apparent in practices since he came over in a trade from the New Orleans Saints, but he appears to be getting more and more comfortable in the Patriots’ complex offense.
“There’s a lot more room to grow,” Cooks said Tuesday. “A lot more things that I need to get on the same page with the quarterbacks. But as long as we’re progressing every day, that’s all that matters.”
And they’re progressing during, before and after practice. Cooks said he’s “absolutely” picking Brady’s brain when they’re off the practice field, putting in 12-hour days with plenty of time to work 1-on-1 with his QB.
“I think that’s one of the smartest things you can do with the limited time we have out here on the field to figure out what he’s thinking and getting on the same page,” Cooks said.
Brady doesn’t mince words with his receivers, an approach Cooks appreciates.
“I think that’s a great thing,” Cooks said. “When you’ve got a guy like that that knows what he wants, there’s not a lot of gray area for a receiver. He knows what he wants, so it’s just my job to figure it out and get there and not take forever to get there.”
Thumbnail photo via Thumbnail photo via Doug Kyed/NESN
