The Rams stepped out of their defensive laboratory, where they’d been concocting big signings and trades for a few weeks, and, with an unexpected puff of smoke, presented their new No. 1 receiver.
No, not him.
Brandin Cooks is headed to the Rams, as the much-anticipated replacement for speedy Sammy Watkins and the likely top target for quarterback Jared Goff. The Rams sent their first-round pick in this month’s draft — No. 23 — and a sixth-rounder to New England for Cooks, and the Rams also get back a fourth-rounder.
The Rams had sniffed around the possibility of a trade for star receiver Odell Beckham Jr., but the New York Giants publicly sent mixed signals last week about their intention to trade or keep Beckham.
That situation didn’t seem headed toward a quick resolution, so the Rams looked elsewhere and, in Cooks, they found another young, former 1,000-yard receiver, but one whose arrival also includes some risk.
Cooks totaled 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns in 2017, his lone season with the Patriots, and last August, New England picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. That means Cooks is under contract to the Rams for approximately $8.5 million this season but then could leave as a free agent.
The Rams, clearly, will look to lock up Cooks on a new contract, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s a native of Stockton who also shares an agent with Goff. The pressure will be on the Rams to get something done.
Last August, the Rams acquired Watkins from Buffalo for this year’s second-round pick and cornerback E.J. Gaines. Watkins, a pending free agent, struggled to find a regular pass-catching role in the Rams’ offense, and last month, he walked away and signed a free-agent contract with Kansas City.
Now the Rams face a similar situation with Cooks, who commanded an even higher trade price, the No. 23 overall pick. The loss of Cooks next year would be disastrous, given that star defensive lineman Aaron Donald also is in the last year of his rookie contract, but those are problems for another day.
In the short term, the Rams have filled their one and only void on offense. Watkins didn’t put up big numbers last season (593 yards, eight touchdowns) but he provided a deep-ball threat that had to be respected by opponents and he opened space for teammates such as Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp.
Cooks can do that, and likely more, given that he will have a full offseason to work with Goff.
Drafted No. 20 overall in 2014 by New Orleans out of Oregon State, Cooks became a full-time starter in his second season, when he had a nine touchdowns, and in 2016 he totaled 84 catches and 1,173 yards.
New England acquired Cooks (and a fourth-round pick) in March 2017 in exchange for the Patriots’ first-round pick (No. 32 overall) and a third-round pick. Cooks finished second to Rob Gronkowski in team receiving yards (by two) and also had a 100-yard game in the AFC Championship Game against Jacksonville. Cooks had two catches in the Super Bowl before he left with concussion symptoms.
Cooks, listed at 5-foot-10, 189 pounds, is a versatile receiver who should easily find a role in Coach Sean McVay’s offense, one that totaled the second-most points in the NFL last season (to the Patriots).
The move also was the latest in a series of blockbusters for the Rams, who haven’t been quiet or shy after a 2017 season that surprisingly included 11 victories and an NFC West championship.
Most of the action had been on the defensive side, as the Rams traded for cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters, signed lineman Ndamukong Suh — who will be introduced at a news conference Wednesday — and traded away two defensive captains in linebackers Alec Ogletree and Robert Quinn.
The trade for Cooks essentially erased the top of the Rams’ draft board. Now, their initial pick won’t take place until the bottom half of the third round (No. 87 overall). The Rams also will be without their first-round pick again. Last year’s first-rounder went to Tennessee in the 2016 trade that brought in Goff.
The Rams still have great need for depth at linebacker, given that only one of their four starters from 2017 — Mark Barron — remains under contract. It had widely been thought that the Rams would use their first-round pick on an edge rusher, but the Rams’ presumed dominance at cornerback and on the defensive line could mitigate their need for upgrades at linebacker.