Might a reunion between Brandin Cooks and the New England Patriots be in the works?
Probably not, but Cooks himself clearly is thinking about it.
Lost in the shuffle of Monday’s wild beginning to the NFL’s legal tampering period was a report from Michael Silver, who claimed Cooks “could” be traded this offseason. Cooks, of course, played for the Patriots in 2017 before an offseason trade sent him to the Los Angeles Rams, with whom he signed a five-year extension.
Here’s Silver’s tweet:
Brandin Cooks has been traded twice in his career (Saints to Patriots, Patriots to Rams), with a first-round pick included on each occasion. The 7th-year WR could be traded again this offseason, and it likely wouldn't take a 1.
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) March 16, 2020
A Patriots fan Instagram account responded to the news by seemingly making up an erroneous trade rumor, claiming New England was interested in bringing Cooks back to Foxboro. Again, as of Tuesday morning, there were no credible NFL reporters echoing the fan’s claims.
Still, Cooks gave the post his stamp of approval.
Take a look:
Brandon Cooks angling for a return to the Patriots?
(Despite the claims of this fan account, I haven't seen any credible trade rumors linking Cooks to New England) pic.twitter.com/fvrGeS3gLS
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) March 17, 2020
(insert all the eye emojis.)
Cooks’ lone season in New England was a polarizing one, as his numbers — 65 catches, 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns — were not reflective of his occasionally underwhelming performance, according to some. The speedy wideout hauled in 80 catches for 1,204 yards and five touchdowns in his first season the Rams before injuries limited him to just 42 receptions for 583 yards last season.
Cooks will turn 27 in September.