Would a Brandin Cooks trade make sense for Baltimore Ravens?
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks may be on the trade market and the Baltimore Ravens could very well be suitors for his services.
The Baltimore Ravens offense is looking slick right now. Between Lamar Jackson at quarterback and a plethora of offensive weapons in guys like Marquise Brown, Mark Andrews, and Mark Ingram, the unit looks primed to be one of the league’s best once again in 2020. Still, another wide receiver across Brown is needed and Brandin Cooks could be the guy to fill that need.
Cooks, who is currently with the Los Angeles Rams, is just 26-years old (will turn 27 in September) and in the prime of his career. Cooks has recorded four 1,000-yard seasons in his six years in the NFL while playing for three different teams (Rams, New Orleans Saints, and New England Patriots). Cooks’ production is matched by his excellent route-running abilities and explosiveness with the ball in his hands.
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From a talent standpoint, adding Brandin Cooks to the Ravens offense would be a slam-dunk. Cooks has some serious wheels on him to beat defenses deep, but is also an accomplished route runner that can work the middle of the field. A wide receiving core of Cooks and “Hollywood” Brown would be deadly.
Still, the move would have to make sense from a team-building standpoint, too. Cooks is due a lot of money over the next four years of his current contract, averaging around ~$17.2 million. That’s a lot of money for a receiver who, while productive, hasn’t been one of the league’s top receivers; at least not according to what his contract would imply. While moving on from Cooks can be done after 2020 if it doesn’t work out, it’s still a heavy investment for the team to make.
The other question to ask if what is Brandin Cooks’ trade value? In both instances where Cooks was traded the team trading for him surrendered a first-round pick as well as an additional pick. While Baltimore has the ammo to make this move, giving up a first-round pick for such an expensive receiver doesn’t seem totally ideal.
The most important factor in this is Cooks’ health. Cooks always seems to be hampered with something. In recent years, Cooks has taken some vicious hits and has now dealt with concussions because of them. Cooks missed two games last year with a concussion.
Taking all these factors into account, it’s pretty hard to justify the Baltimore Ravens trading for Brandin Cooks. While it’s unlikely he’d be traded a third time in his career for a first-round pick, the Los Angeles Rams would likely still want pretty decent compensation for the receiver and the Ravens don’t need to trade their assets when the offense is already set and can get a guy much cheaper via the 2020 NFL Draft.
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It’s a cool thought, but it seems unlikely the Baltimore Ravens would make a move for Brandin Cooks. There are simply too many little details that would need to be worked out to make it happen and Cooks’ contract is bloated. Adding Cooks would certainly put the Ravens over the top offensively, but it would be difficult to make and then justify the move.