Cowboys 'Trade Call'? Texans Sign WR Brandin Cooks to New Deal

There's a report on Dallas having "called the Texans about Cooks.'' Any substance here?

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys' exploration into receiver help will quite likely end up being an NFL Draft weekend thing. But just in case ... the exploration into trading for a vet helper makes sense as well.

Are they really calling on Brandin Cooks with visions of making the Houston Texans' productive speedster a member of the Cowboys?

There has been fun media speculation about this. A few days ago, Bleacher Report offered up, as it often does, a "potential trade proposal,'' this time featuring a “stunner” deal that would have the Cowboys landing Houston Texans playmaker Brandin Cooks in exchange for a third-round pick (No. 88) in April’s NFL Draft.

But now along comes ESPN reporting that "the Texans have received multiple calls on Cooks.'' And to follow, Jordan Schultz is reporting on Dallas having "called the Texans about Cooks.''

Any substance here? In three easy steps, here's why we've been telling you to tap the brakes ...

1) As we wrote it on Thursday morning: Cooks is a $12.5 million receiver now on the last year of his deal. He's going to want a new contract along with any trade, and given the price of receivers now, we'll bet he's going to want $20 million APY. He has played for four teams in eight years, but that is not indicative of any negative. The negative for Dallas is that $20 million APY should, in their view, go to a "No. 1 receiver'' (think D.K. Metcalf, think A.J. Brown, think of how Cooper was deemed something short of that). 

Dallas isn't going to rent Brandin Cooks for a year. And Dallas isn't going to pay Brandin Cooks $20 million APY.

2) In Houston he is considered an asset as a locker-room leader as well as a perennial 1,000-yard receiver. His 4.33 40 time is part of the package as well. Our sources in Houston via TexansDaily.com tell us that the Texans do not plan on parting with Cooks for the rumor/report compensation of a third-round pick. Indeed, the plugged-in Aaron Wilson of PFN reports to not expect Houston to part with Cooks at all.

We are told they might listen if teams offer a second-rounder. But the smart money is that Houston will work with Cooks to give him his new deal.

And ... bingo. By Thursday afternoon, Cooks had agreed to a new two-year extension to stay in Houston.

3) Given the depth of receivers in this draft, Cooks - even as a guy who put up 90 catches for 1,037 and six touchdowns in 2021 for an awful Texans team - isn't a match with a Cowboys team that thinks it can find a running mate for CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup and for the Dak Prescott-led offense in late April.

The Cowboys are going to add a receiver. It's unlikely to be a superstar making $20 million APY. It's likely it'll be a pick made in one of the first two rounds. Cooks to Dallas, of the three scenarios, was the least likely. And the "most likely'' just happened.

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