Cooks traded to Rams for 23 overall pick

[HawaiianPatsfan]

Many people don't know how often Dorsett way actually open. It only took Brady giving him a chance. Edelman back means we don't have to play so vertical. Which means Cooks production would've probably dropped by 30% of more anyhow. I think Dorsett can fill in real nicely.

 

[primetime]

Patriots are in a good position to take a quarterback like Lamar Jackson and still fill needs with a top-tier talent at the back end of the 1st round and in the 2nd. That makes me happy.

I liked Cooks a lot but he did some things that were maddening, like the ill-fated hurdle attempt and running backwards in the Super Bowl. He was a top-tier WR2, not a WR1, but he'll be paid like a WR1. The Patriots got a solid year out of him and actually returned a higher pick than they lost. I can't complain about the trade, though it certainly makes the return on something like the Garoppolo trade even more of a headscratcher.

The WR corps isn't in a great spot, though. Edelman will be back but he's getting older. Hogan is a good but not great WR2. Maybe they're confident Mitchell will be healthy. Maybe they like Dorsett for some reason. Maybe they'll draft a DJ Moore or Anthony Miller. Maybe they'll pick up Jordan Matthew's or Jeremy Maclin. Maybe they'll trade for Beckham. Who knows, but the current slate of WRs do leave me nervous.

 

[The_Riddler]

I loved Cookie, but I love this more...Can't wait for the updated Mocks tomorrow...Including the trade Mocks...

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

I like cooks but if you get back a first you take it. Good deal

 

[Gronkowski123]

theyre betting on edelman being 100 percent.

tom's job gets even harder. BB only does this because tb12 is the QB.

 

[Wozzy]

If Dorsett could play like Cooks he would have done it by now

Both Cooks and Dorsett averaged over 16 yards per catch, Dorsett will get paid peanuts.
Obviously the two sides could not agree on an extension.

David Patten was an UDFA who played in the arena league and played the same position as Cooks so lets not say Dorsett couldn't.

The team knows who Dorsett is by now and when there were playoff games to be played he was out there while Kenny Britt was watching in street clothes.

 

[zimmy]

I am really pleased with this move. I got loads of abuse in another thread from a couple of posters, who didn't know what they were talking about, for suggesting the Pats needed to move Cooks.

This is a no-brainer. We weren't going to sign him at $16m+. Move on, get some high draft capital and inject some youth on D.

 

[Flash]

So with two 1sts and a high 2nd we can address all three of EDGE/OT/LB or potentially trade up for an impact player. Rashaan Evans and LVE are in play, I like that. We can still draft Kolton Miller and Ronnie Harrison/Justin Reid, I like that. We can trade up and grab Lamar Jackson.

My ideal scenario is that the Browns don't be idiots and allow Josh Allen to slide. We trade up to get Josh Allen, let him sit for two years. If development goes well, multiple All-Pros easy!

 

[RobertWeathers]

Both Cooks and Dorsett averaged over 16 yards per catch, Dorsett will get paid peanuts.
Obviously the two sides could not agree on an extension.

David Patten was an UDFA who played in the arena league and played the same position as Cooks so lets not say Dorsett couldn't.

The team knows by now who Dorsett is by now and when there were playoff games to be played he was out there while Kenny Britt was watching in street clothes.

Dude.

 

[Wozzy]

Dude.

Does the dude not abide?

 

[IcyPatriot]

Oh to be a fly on the wall of the Belichick/Caserio meetings ...

 

[mcmurtry86]

Dorsett has never been close to as good as Cooks. But the Patriots two of the last four Super Bowls with Mitchell, Hogan, Amendola, Edelman, and LaFell at WR. So Cooks isn't needed.

LaFell and Amendola are both gone (and Amendola is much better than anyone they have in house to replace him). Mitchell has had durability concerns. Edelman is 32 and his body is beat up.

Really think the "he's not needed" stuff is ridiculous.

The offense is going to be "hope Gronk is healthy and happy for 16-20 games" because on paper this WR group is very thin unless you're very optimistic on their health/durability. There's talent but so many questions and places where it can fall apart quickly.

 

[primetime]

Dude.

I don't know how you could disagree with a poster whose argument is that the Patriots would be fine with the wide receivers of the Philadelphia Soul

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Who to take at 23? Marcus davenport, evans or vanden esche?

 

[50-yard-line]

I called this

You absolutely did - and I came around ot agreeing with you (and had a bunch of folks tell me I was crazy).

8.5 million cap hit...and no way they would keep him past this year. If they think Dorsett/Patterson/Britt/????? could pick up much of his production...well...

 

[102 Pat]

I just texted my friend and said "good thing your Cooks jersey was a knockoff"

 

[Hammer of Thor]

So, the Pats get #23, a 6th round pick and $8.459M in cap space for this trade.

That leaves them with Edelman, Mitchell, Britt, Hogan, Patterson, McCarron, Hollister, and Dorsett.

Many felt the addition of Patterson and having Dorsett was the writing on the wall for Cooks anyways.. Not to mention the Pats exercising the option on Britt.

I think this trade actually will allow them to pick up a LT early while also picking up a defensive player, be it a DE or a LB.. I see LB as the bigger of the 2 needs, but DE would be next..

I can't possibly see Patterson as writing on the wall for Cooks. I would be surprised if he got more snaps at WR in 2018 than Matthew Slater does in a typical year. His ability to pick up even simple NFL offenses has been in question. How's he going to handle this one?

I also don't see anything that Dorsett did that could cause them to trade Cooks. Dorsett is what he is at this point, a decent complimentary piece but not consistent enough to "replace" Cooks. He does offer the team enough though to stretch the field (combined with Hogan), to make them respect the deep ball and not flood the short and intermediate zones.

I think the trade is really simply about this: Belichick knows he won a SB with Edelman, Hogan, Amendola and Mitchell as his main WRs who covered all parts of the field decently enough. Cooks was a nice extra upgrade when he was cheap. But he didn't offer enough to warrant keeping around when he wasn't cheap. Dola is gone, but I think BB feels that he has a WR crew that compares reasonably well with 2014's and 2016's, and that he will get more marginal improvements on the team with the 23 pick and whoever they spend the 8 million on.

 

[primetime]

LaFell and Amendola are both gone (and Amendola is much better than anyone they have in house to replace him). Mitchell has had durability concerns. Edelman is 32 and his body is beat up.

Really think the "he's not needed" stuff is ridiculous.

The offense is going to be "hope Gronk is healthy and happy for 16-20 games" because on paper this WR group is very thin unless you're very optimistic on their health/durability. There's talent but so many questions and places where it can fall apart quickly.

They also lost their top-tier running back and left tackle. The offense is much worse on paper right now than when it ended the season. These things get played out in-season but it doesn't look great right now, which is why this trade is best viewed with mixed emotions.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Does the dude not abide?

No I don't abide with comparing Cooks to Dorsett.

Let me know when he has 4 1000 yd seasons then I'll agree with you.

 

[KDPPatsfan85]

My only issue with this trade is this...

Just before the news broke, I finished making a 2 round mock draft. Was about to type it up then the breaking news hit. Which means I have to do it ALL OVER again!

Other than that...I love this trade. We save cap space, Vander Esch is in range now, or we could package 23 and 31 to trade up as far as #9 and draft Smith?