Overall, Cooks has 280 receptions for 3,943 yards and 27 touchdowns in four National Football League seasons. And this also tells you that the Patriots had no intention of paying Cooks top receiver money after 2018, anyway. Acquiring a first- and sixth-rounder via Cooks and collecting a second-round pick for Jimmy Garoppolo could be the initial steps in a grander scheme to maintain a high level of success in New England.
The Patriots already had the 31st overall selection in the draft and added the No. 23 pick with Tuesday's trade of Cooks to the Los Angeles Rams.
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Having two first-round picks is unheard of in the Belichick era. This individual is convinced that this Cooks trade was a mere cog in the overall machine and a piece that will end up with one of the top three-or-four rated passers in this draft landing in New England. Last season Cooks had 65 receptions and 1,082 receiving yards, to go along with seven touchdowns.
Now in 2018, with Cooks due $8.5 million on the fifth-year option from his rookie deal, they now sit at 23 in the first round of 2018. Of course, New England would have a lot of work to do if it wanted to move into position to draft Rosen.
Encouragingly for the Pats, the decision to move Cooks seems to reveal that tight end Rob Gronkowski, who reportedly has pondered doing something else for a living this year, is gung-ho about continuing his career.
But even though they didn't get Beckham, the Rams should be pleased with landing Cooks.
New signing Cordarrelle Patterson, Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan, Riley McCarron, Cody Hollister, Kenny Britt, Malcolm Mitchell are all under contract and should soften the blow of Cook's departure. In the majority of Belichick and Brady's eight Super Bowl appearances, they competed with a wideout group similar, or inferior, to this one, so wide receiver doesn't exactly feel like a screaming need. When Belichick and Rams coach Sean McVay attend the same coaching clinic in Georgia on Monday, the two teams were able to advance the discussion surrounding Cooks before ultimately coming to an agreement on Tuesday night.
The Los Angeles Rams have traded away the opportunity to select early in the 2018 NFL Draft. Finding a team willing to give up two high picks for Beckham is one thing, but any interested team will also need to be ready to make Beckham the highest-paid receiver in history. The latest move was said to help out their offense, providing a "big threat" option for the team.
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