The New Orleans Saints and veteran WR Brandin Cooks—their 2014 first-round draft pick—mutually agreed to part ways Wednesday afternoon, with the 32-year-old even renegotiating his contract down in order
for the move to be completed.
This comes after Cooks signed a two-year, $13 million deal with $7.75 million guaranteed this offseason. Through 10 games, he’s hauled in 19 receptions on just 24 targets for 165 yards. In Week 10 against the Carolina Panthers, he didn’t see a single target come his way—and that was the Saints’ first game since trading Rashid Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks. If opportunities weren’t there then, it was unclear whether they were ever going to open up.
Cooks’ departure leaves Chris Olave (25 years old), Devaughn Vele (27) and former undrafted free agent Mason Tipton (25) as the only remaining wideouts on the active roster. The Saints also made a deal with the New England Patriots for 23-year-old Ja’Lynn Polk earlier in the season, though he will miss the entire season on injured reserve as he recovers from a shoulder injury.
New Orleans will need to search for a playmaking pass catcher in the upcoming NFL Draft. In the meantime, Kevin Austin Jr. or Dante Pettis could be called up from the practice squad for this week’s matchup with the Atlanta Falcons. There is also a chance Trey Palmer returns from IR soon, and his speed could help replace part of what Cooks brought to the table.
More opportunities should be available for Vele and Tipton now that both Shaheed and Cooks are gone. Vele logged a season-high 59 snaps (87%) against the Panthers in Charlotte, while Tipton recorded a season-high 23 snaps (34%) in the same game. Those numbers should only increase moving forward.
