Brandin Cooks is on the move. Again. The Cowboys are picking him up as Cooks continues to build a case as the most well-traveled player in league history.
Per reports, the Texans will receive a fifth-round pick this year, as well as a sixth-round pick in the 2024 draft. That might seem like a modest price tag, but Cooks didn’t want to play in Houston. He was furious when the Texans were unable to finalize a trade with the same team at the deadline last year, skipping some practices and being held out of a game.
The Cowboys were looking for a proven, quality receiver to play opposite CeeDee Lamb, and Cooks should help in that regard. He’s a lot better than Michael Gallup, and he’s a lot better than Noah Brown (who signed a free agent deal with the Texans). It’s not a good year for wide receivers in the draft, so would be unlikely that Dallas could select a Cooks-type receiver in the second round.
With this deal, Cooks has been traded four times, tying Eric Dickerson’s all-time record. He’s been a difficult guy to work with, apparently. In Jeff Duncan’s book about Drew Brees and Sean Payton, there’s mention of Cooks being more worried about his numbers than about the team in general. The Patriots and Rams have also traded him away.
With this move, Cooks is also positioned to make a run at being the first receiver in league history to finish with top-20 numbers for five different teams. (That’s using PPR scoring). As things stand, he’s one of three who’s done it with four teams, joining Brandon Marshall and Terrell Owens. Seven other receivers have had top-20 seasons with three different teams: Charlie Joiner, Harold Jackson, Randy Moss, Keenan McCardell, James Lofton, Irving Fryar and Amari Cooper.
TOP-20 SEASONS WITH 3 DIFFERENT TEAMS | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | PPR | Rk |
2007 | Brandon Marshall, Den. | 102 | 1325 | 13.0 | 7 | 282.2 | 9 |
2008 | Brandon Marshall, Den. | 104 | 1265 | 12.2 | 6 | 266.1 | 5 |
2009 | Brandon Marshall, Den. | 101 | 1120 | 11.1 | 10 | 276.9 | 7 |
2011 | Brandon Marshall, Mia. | 81 | 1214 | 15.0 | 6 | 239.7 | 11 |
2012 | Brandon Marshall, Chi. | 118 | 1508 | 12.8 | 11 | 334.6 | 2 |
2013 | Brandon Marshall, Chi. | 100 | 1295 | 13.0 | 12 | 305.5 | 5 |
2015 | Brandon Marshall, NYJ | 109 | 1502 | 13.8 | 14 | 343.2 | 3 |
2015 | Brandin Cooks, N.O. | 84 | 1138 | 13.6 | 9 | 253.6 | 14 |
2016 | Brandin Cooks, N.O. | 78 | 1173 | 15.0 | 8 | 246.3 | 10 |
2017 | Brandin Cooks, N.E. | 65 | 1082 | 16.7 | 7 | 221.2 | 15 |
2018 | Brandin Cooks, LAR | 80 | 1204 | 15.1 | 6 | 243.2 | 13 |
2020 | Brandin Cooks, Hou. | 81 | 1150 | 14.2 | 6 | 232.0 | 17 |
2021 | Brandin Cooks, Hou. | 90 | 1037 | 11.5 | 6 | 231.8 | 20 |
1997 | Terrell Owens, S.F. | 60 | 936 | 15.6 | 8 | 201.6 | 20 |
1998 | Terrell Owens, S.F. | 67 | 1097 | 16.4 | 15 | 274.0 | 3 |
2000 | Terrell Owens, S.F. | 97 | 1451 | 15.0 | 13 | 323.2 | 3 |
2001 | Terrell Owens, S.F. | 93 | 1412 | 15.2 | 16 | 332.3 | 2 |
2002 | Terrell Owens, S.F. | 100 | 1300 | 13.0 | 14 | 321.9 | 3 |
2003 | Terrell Owens, S.F. | 80 | 1102 | 13.8 | 9 | 244.0 | 11 |
2004 | Terrell Owens, Phil. | 77 | 1200 | 15.6 | 14 | 280.5 | 6 |
2006 | Terrell Owens, Dall. | 85 | 1180 | 13.9 | 13 | 283.0 | 2 |
2007 | Terrell Owens, Dall. | 81 | 1355 | 16.7 | 15 | 307.0 | 3 |
2008 | Terrell Owens, Dall. | 69 | 1052 | 15.3 | 10 | 237.5 | 11 |
2010 | Terrell Owens, Cin. | 72 | 983 | 13.7 | 9 | 224.3 | 17 |
2016 | Amari Cooper, Oak. | 83 | 1153 | 13.9 | 5 | 232.3 | 15 |
2018 | Amari Cooper, Oak.-Dall. | 75 | 1005 | 13.4 | 7 | 219.5 | 19 |
2019 | Amari Cooper, Dall. | 79 | 1189 | 15.1 | 8 | 246.5 | 10 |
2020 | Amari Cooper, Dall. | 92 | 1114 | 12.1 | 5 | 236.8 | 15 |
2022 | Amari Cooper, Cle. | 78 | 1160 | 14.9 | 9 | 248.0 | 10 |
1971 | Charlie Joiner, Hou. | 31 | 681 | 22.0 | 7 | 141.1 | 15 |
1975 | Charlie Joiner, Cin. | 37 | 726 | 19.6 | 5 | 139.6 | 19 |
1976 | Charlie Joiner, S.D. | 50 | 1056 | 21.1 | 7 | 197.6 | 5 |
1977 | Charlie Joiner, S.D. | 35 | 542 | 15.5 | 6 | 125.2 | 19 |
1979 | Charlie Joiner, S.D. | 72 | 1008 | 14.0 | 4 | 195.6 | 13 |
1980 | Charlie Joiner, S.D. | 71 | 1132 | 15.9 | 4 | 208.2 | 7 |
1981 | Charlie Joiner, S.D. | 70 | 1188 | 17.0 | 7 | 230.8 | 5 |
1982 | Charlie Joiner, S.D. | 36 | 545 | 15.1 | 0 | 90.5 | 20 |
1983 | Charlie Joiner, S.D. | 65 | 960 | 14.8 | 3 | 179.0 | 15 |
1984 | Charlie Joiner, S.D. | 61 | 793 | 13.0 | 6 | 176.3 | 19 |
1985 | Charlie Joiner, S.D. | 59 | 932 | 15.8 | 7 | 194.2 | 16 |
1970 | Harold Jackson, Phil. | 41 | 613 | 15.0 | 5 | 131.8 | 18 |
1971 | Harold Jackson, Phil. | 47 | 716 | 15.2 | 3 | 140.7 | 16 |
1972 | Harold Jackson, Phil. | 62 | 1048 | 16.9 | 4 | 198.4 | 2 |
1973 | Harold Jackson, LAR | 40 | 874 | 21.9 | 13 | 204.6 | 2 |
1974 | Harold Jackson, LAR | 30 | 514 | 17.1 | 5 | 111.8 | 18 |
1975 | Harold Jackson, LAR | 43 | 786 | 18.3 | 7 | 163.6 | 11 |
1976 | Harold Jackson, LAR | 39 | 751 | 19.3 | 5 | 145.6 | 15 |
1977 | Harold Jackson, LAR | 48 | 666 | 13.9 | 6 | 151.2 | 9 |
1978 | Harold Jackson, N.E. | 37 | 743 | 20.1 | 6 | 148.0 | 18 |
1979 | Harold Jackson, N.E. | 45 | 1013 | 22.5 | 7 | 189.5 | 15 |
1991 | Irving Fryar, N.E. | 68 | 1014 | 14.9 | 3 | 188.5 | 20 |
1993 | Irving Fryar, Mia. | 64 | 1010 | 15.8 | 5 | 194.6 | 12 |
1994 | Irving Fryar, Mia. | 73 | 1270 | 17.4 | 7 | 246.0 | 10 |
1996 | Irving Fryar, Phil. | 88 | 1195 | 13.6 | 11 | 273.1 | 6 |
1997 | Irving Fryar, Phil. | 86 | 1316 | 15.3 | 6 | 253.6 | 9 |
1978 | James Lofton, G.B. | 46 | 818 | 17.8 | 6 | 165.1 | 13 |
1979 | James Lofton, G.B. | 54 | 968 | 17.9 | 4 | 174.7 | 20 |
1980 | James Lofton, G.B. | 71 | 1226 | 17.3 | 4 | 217.6 | 3 |
1981 | James Lofton, G.B. | 71 | 1294 | 18.2 | 8 | 248.4 | 4 |
1982 | James Lofton, G.B. | 35 | 696 | 19.9 | 5 | 146.9 | 4 |
1983 | James Lofton, G.B. | 58 | 1300 | 22.4 | 8 | 239.6 | 6 |
1984 | James Lofton, G.B. | 62 | 1361 | 22.0 | 7 | 248.3 | 7 |
1985 | James Lofton, G.B. | 69 | 1153 | 16.7 | 4 | 209.7 | 8 |
1987 | James Lofton, Oak. | 41 | 880 | 21.5 | 5 | 159.1 | 16 |
1991 | James Lofton, Buff. | 57 | 1072 | 18.8 | 8 | 212.2 | 12 |
1992 | James Lofton, Buff. | 51 | 786 | 15.4 | 6 | 165.6 | 19 |
1996 | Keenan McCardell, Jac. | 85 | 1129 | 13.3 | 3 | 217.9 | 16 |
1997 | Keenan McCardell, Jac. | 85 | 1164 | 13.7 | 5 | 231.4 | 12 |
2000 | Keenan McCardell, Jac. | 94 | 1207 | 12.8 | 5 | 244.7 | 15 |
2001 | Keenan McCardell, Jac. | 93 | 1110 | 11.9 | 6 | 242.0 | 15 |
2003 | Keenan McCardell, T.B. | 84 | 1174 | 14.0 | 9 | 255.4 | 8 |
2005 | Keenan McCardell, S.D. | 70 | 917 | 13.1 | 9 | 216.3 | 17 |
1998 | Randy Moss, Min. | 69 | 1313 | 19.0 | 17 | 306.7 | 2 |
1999 | Randy Moss, Min. | 80 | 1413 | 17.7 | 12 | 303.0 | 3 |
2000 | Randy Moss, Min. | 77 | 1437 | 18.7 | 15 | 313.2 | 4 |
2001 | Randy Moss, Min. | 82 | 1233 | 15.0 | 10 | 270.6 | 8 |
2002 | Randy Moss, Min. | 106 | 1347 | 12.7 | 7 | 292.5 | 4 |
2003 | Randy Moss, Min. | 111 | 1632 | 14.7 | 17 | 378.0 | 1 |
2005 | Randy Moss, Oak. | 60 | 1005 | 16.8 | 8 | 208.5 | 20 |
2007 | Randy Moss, N.E. | 98 | 1493 | 15.2 | 23 | 385.3 | 1 |
2008 | Randy Moss, N.E. | 69 | 1008 | 14.6 | 11 | 235.8 | 12 |
2009 | Randy Moss, N.E. | 83 | 1264 | 15.2 | 13 | 289.4 | 2 |
—Ian Allan