ClutchPoints
For the seventh time in his 12-year NFL career, Brandin Cooks will be playing for a new team, having officially cleared waivers after being released by the team that drafted him and re-signed during the offseason, the New Orleans Saints.
One of the premier players in the 2014 NFL Draft class, Cooks has long been championed for his speed and deep play abilities, with contender after contender trading for his services over the past decade to a near-record-breaking degree. But at 32, his best days may be behind him, as he’s recorded fewer yards in 2024 and 2025 combined, 424, than he had in each of his 10 previous individual seasons with the Saints, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans, and Dallas Cowboys.
And yet, even if Cooks is no longer an elite deep threat, that doesn’t mean he can’t still help a good team succeed in the short term, even if it comes as a WR3 or even a WR4 on a really good team. He can still get vertical, has extensive experience in multiple schemes, and most importantly of all, brings the threat of speed to any offense any time he takes the field, which could force opposing defenses to change their plans in order to avoid being burned over the top.
With the playoffs rapidly approaching, there are multiple teams that should heavily push for Cooks’ services, as he could change the outcome of a game, a drive, or even just a play, which could be the difference between advancing in the playoffs and an early vacation come January.
After finishing out the 2024 NFL season with a top-5 draft pick, the New England Patriots have been one of the true bright spots of the 2025 campaign, with second-year quarterback Drake Maye leading the team to a 9-2 record through Week 11.
With a cost-controlled quarterback under contract for the next four years, some exciting young players around him like Will Campbell, Christian Gonzalez, and Cory Durden, and quality veterans like Mack Hollins, Stefon Diggs, and Harold Landry III filling out the roster, more than a few fans banged the table to see Mike Vrabel, Eliot Wolf, and company make a move at the trade deadline to further fortify the roster before the playoffs.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, as the Patriots opted to sell off players like Keion White and Kyle Dugger from the previous administration instead of loading up on more win-now players, forcing Vrabel to roll with the players he has rather than fortifying his roster with someone new.
Enter Cooks, who could add some deep threat ability to the Patriots’ offense like he did in 2017 for Tom Brady.
Despite moving on from deep threats like Tyquan Thornton and Ja’lynn Polk, the Patriots’ offense has found plenty of success down the field in 2025, with Hollins, Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, Kyle Williams, and DeMario Douglas all averaging at least 10 yards per reception...
