The New England Patriots acquired one of the NFL’s most exciting young wide receivers last week, landing 23-year-old speedster Brandin Cooks in a trade with the New Orleans Saints.
After arriving at Gillette Stadium, Cooks said he was thrilled to join a franchise as successful as the Patriots.
“Obviously, to play for an organization like this, it’s a dream come true and it’s blessing,” Cooks told “Patriots Today.” “So I couldn’t be more thankful. … I’m just thankful for the opportunity, and I can’t wait to get started.”
The Saints and Patriots only play each other once every four years, but they have held joint training camp practices each of the past two summers, giving Cooks an up-close look at how New England coach Bill Belichick handles his business.
“It’s a first-class place — a place you’d love to be a part of,” said Cooks, who often battled with Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler on the practice field. “When we practiced against them, it was always competitive. These are they type of teams you want to go against to better yourself. So to be on a team like this now, it’s amazing.”
Though he has three years of NFL experience under his belt, Cooks still is one of the youngest players on the Patriots’ roster. He’s coming off two wildly productive seasons for New Orleans, having caught 162 passes for 2,311 yards and 17 touchdowns since the start of the 2015 campaign.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
