The New England Patriots will have their work cut out for them in Super Bowl LII against an explosive Philadelphia Eagles offense led by speedy wide receiver Brandin Cooks. (Wait — what?)
Don’t worry: The Pats and Eagles didn’t make a last-minute trade. Cooks still plays for New England. But he was very close to joining the Patriots’ Super Bowl opponent this past offseason, according to a report.
Philadelphia had a trade in place with the New Orleans Saints in 2017 to acquire Cooks that was “scuttled at the last minute,” NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday, citing sources. The trade, per Rapoport, was this: Cooks to Philly for Eagles strong safety Malcolm Jenkins, a third-round draft pick and two fourth-round draft picks.
That deal obviously would have changed things for the Eagles, Saints and Patriots. The Pats sent their 2017 first-round and third-round draft picks to New Orleans last March to bring in Cooks, who racked up 1,082 receiving yards and seven touchdowns this season and is a key vertical threat in New England’s offense.
But Philly has benefited just as much from holding off on the deal. Jenkins earned his second Pro Bowl nod this season while providing invaluable leadership in the Eagles’ secondary. Team executive vice president Howie Roseman used that third-rounder he kept to swing a trade for defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan, who has contributed to Philly’s ferocious pass rush this season.
Obviously, the non-trade proved the best result for both the Eagles and Patriots, who finished first in their respective conferences en route to Sunday’s Super Bowl clash. It’s still fun to play the “what if?” game, though.
