New England Patriots: Goodbye Brandin Cooks
By Sam Minton
The New England Patriots offseason gets more interesting by the day. The team’s latest move has them sending Brandin Cooks to the LA Rams.
The New England Patriots dropped a bomb on us Tuesday night. Adam Schefter was the first to report that the Patriots would be sending Brandin Cooks to the LA Rams in exchange for a 1st round pick and a 6th round pick in this year’s draft. It looks like the Patriots are liking what they are seeing from this year’s draft class.
The Pats now have the 23rd, 31st, 43rd, 63rd, and 95th pick in the first three rounds. Now my first instinct was that they may try and go after Odell Beckham Jr, but those dreams were quickly shot down.
I'm told the Pats trading of Cooks is not a precursor to an attempt to land Beckham. New England won't be in that market
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) April 3, 2018
Cooks had a great season last year. He did what the Patriots asked of him. He was a deep ball threat and was able to burn some guys. In what will be his only season with the Patriots he had 65 catches for 1082 yards and 7 touchdowns.
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Michael Lombardi reported that the Patriots had no intention of signing Cooks past this year. So at least the Patriots were able to get some value from him while they still could.
What will the Patriots do?
Well it looks like they will be very busy in the draft. The offensive line is in desperate need of rejuvenation. With Nate Solder leaving there is a gaping hole on the left side. Kolten Miller has a similar body type to Solder so he could fit in well. He has already been rumored to be on the Patriots draft board.
Also this could mean that the Patriots are going after a Quarterback. The addition of another 1st round pick means they could get a decent quarterback without losing out on a player they need now like a defensive lineman or offensive lineman.
There is one other move that the Patriots may be planning. They could package their picks and move up to try and get a better talent. Right now Mike McGlinchey and Harold Landry are projected to go just before the halfway point of the first round. Both of these guys would be great picks for the Patriots.
McGlinchy is a big guy standing at 6’8″ 309 pounds. He is better playing on the right side, but has played LT before. He is widely regarded as one of the best offensive tackles in the draft.
Landry is a defensive end out of Boston College. He is very athletic and regarded as one of the best pass rushers in the draft. After the defense’s performance in last years Super Bowl the Patriots could use some help getting to the Quarterback.
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This has been one of the most interesting offseasons in New England Patriots history, and from all signs, it won’t be slowing down anytime soon.