Dallas Cowboys acquire veteran receiver Brandin Cooks in trade with Houston Texans
The Dallas Cowboys, who had been linked to several receivers for a few months, have bolstered the position with a trade.
The Cowboys have acquired Brandin Cooks after shipping a 2023 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth-round selection to the Houston Texans. This marks the fourth trade that Cooks has been a part of since March 2017.
"Beyond blessed and can't wait to go be special for the star! Very thankful for the Jones family for this opportunity for my family and I," Cooks wrote in a text message to ESPN, which was first to report the news of the trade.
ESPN also reported that the Texans restructured Cooks’ contract so that Houston will be responsible for $6 million of his 2023 salary, while the Cowboys will foot the remaining $12 million.
Dallas has been looking for a consistent No. 2 option at receiver since it traded Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns last March. The haul Dallas received in that trade was the same as it sent to Houston for Cooks, though the fifth- and sixth-round picks were both in the 2022 NFL draft.
The Cowboys have been linked to free agent receiver Odell Beckham Jr., with team owner Jerry Jones even telling USA TODAY Sports in December that "Odell's going to join us." Instead, Dallas opted to sign veteran receiver T.Y. Hilton, whose contract expired at the end of this season.
The Cowboys have a solid option leading the receivers room in CeeDee Lamb, 23, who is set to enter his fourth season in the league. Lamb is coming off consecutive Pro Bowl nominations and has 260 catches for 3,396 yards and 20 touchdowns in his career.
Who is new Dallas Cowboys receiver Brandin Cooks?
Cooks, 29, will also join Michael Gallup in the Dallas receivers room and brings speed and deep-play ability to pair with quarterback Dak Prescott. Cooks has played nine seasons in the NFL. He was a first-round draft pick (No. 20 overall) for the New Orleans Saints in 2014 and played three seasons there, before the team traded him to the New England Patriots in March 2017.
Cooks played one season in New England, eventually helping lead the team to an appearance in Super Bowl 52, which the Patriots lost to the Eagles. His time with the Patriots was short, as the team traded him to the Los Angeles Rams the following offseason. Once again, Cooks played for the Super Bowl runners-up, as the Rams lost to his former team in Super Bowl 53. Cooks led Los Angeles in catches (eight) and receiving yards (120) in that loss. In April 2020, the Rams then traded Cooks to the Texans, where he had spent the last three seasons. In his nine seasons, Cooks has caught 630 passes for 8,616 yards with 49 touchdowns.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brandin Cooks traded to Cowboys from Texans to bolster receiver corps
