Brandin Cooks

[*SHRacerX*]

(10-29-2020, 08:41 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: There's been a lot of talk about the Texans shopping their guys and how all their WRs are available. They look like they're going to go into some turmoil now that O'Brien is gone and they'll bring in new folks.

I think it'd be smart if the Bengals went after Cooks. A 3rd, a 6th, and AJ Green (for money reasons). The Bengals would snag 3.5 years of a productive 4.3 speed WR to combine with Boyd and Higgins, the Texans get some picks for their new guy who'll come in this offseason and probably can trade AJ to another team for a 6th or so.

Cooks is 27 and under contract for $8m (so ~$4.5m left) this year, $12m in 21, $12m in 22, and $12.5m in 23 with $0 in dead money in all three years.

WR would be set for the Bengals for at least the next 3 years with Boyd/Higgins/Cooks (which is roughly how long they have before Burrow's $ will explode into silly numbers), and with WR set they could focus all their attention on OL.

While I think Cooks would be a nice vertical threat to complement Boyd and Higgins, there is no way you give away your borderline future HOF WR, AND two draft picks.  The draft picks next season will be even more valuable since there are a lot of cap questions and teams in cap jeopardy.  The Texans wouldn't get anything by taking Green, who is only under contract this season.  

I would consider offering a single fourth round pick for Cooks.  That's it.  You might say they would never do it and that is fine, but where the Bengal's fourth round pick is likely to slot, that is pretty high compensation.  The Texans are going to need a lot of picks to fix what O'Brien did there.

I would just let AJ walk after this season, unless he signs a very team-friendly deal that the team can get out of after two years and maybe $7 million per year.  I think he and his agent will be unrealistic with what they perceive as his value.  He won't get more than that elsewhere, either.  He has played well the past couple weeks, but he is a far cry from being the $18 million per year player he was prior.