The Rams are paying Brandin Cooks. Per published reports, he’s signed a five-year extension worth $80 million. But will he even be the most productive receiver on that roster?
Before the extension kicks in, by the way, Cooks will need to finish the final year of his rookie contract, at $8 million. So that’s $88 million for six years. I’m not sure how much of the money is guaranteed (what’s reported to be $88 million for six years today can quickly become $40 million for three years when a player is released). But strictly for reported dollars, Cooks will average $14.7 million, coming in slightly behind Sammy Watkins ($16 million) and Jarvis Landry ($15).
Trivia buffs should note that Cooks has the rare opportunity to go over 1,000 receiving yards three straight years for three different teams, which has never been done before.
But I’m not promising he’ll even be the best receiver on his own team. He’s going to play in the same spot that Watkins filled last year, and Watkins didn’t put up big numbers. I’m not sure how much of that was on Watkins and how much was on Jared Goff not being comfortable throwing downfield passes. Goff might be a better quarterback this season, but last year he was more confident throwing short passes underneath.
The Rams have other good wide receivers. Robert Woods was their most productive wide receiver for most of last year. He missed a month with a shoulder injury, but if you look at per-game production, he was just as effective as Cooks last year. Then Woods went out and caught 9 passes for 142 yards in the playoff loss against the Falcons. Good player.
I am also a believer in Cooper Kupp. He posted huge numbers at Eastern Washington, and he proved to be for real as a rookie, with a good feel for to get open underneath. It would not surprise me at all if Kupp posted better numbers than both Woods and Cooks.
In my opinion, it looks like a balanced trio of receivers. With that in mind, I wouldn’t make any of them one of the first 20 wide receivers selected in a draft. Probably all three should be chosen in the 20s and early 30s.
Among wide receivers who started at least 10 games last year, they ranked 17th, 18th and 27th in per-game scoring. That’s PPR format; results are slightly different for standard. Watkins (who’s now with Kansas City) ranked 45th.
| RECEIVERS, PPR PER-GAME STATS (10 start min) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | St | No | Yds | Run | TD | FPG |
| Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 14 | 7.2 | 109.5 | .0 | .67 | 22.2 |
| DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 15 | 6.4 | 91.9 | .0 | .87 | 20.8 |
| Keenan Allen, LAC | 16 | 6.4 | 87.1 | .6 | .44 | 17.8 |
| Jarvis Landry, Mia. | 16 | 7.0 | 61.7 | -.4 | .56 | 16.5 |
| Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 15 | 5.0 | 78.9 | 3.9 | .53 | 16.5 |
| Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 16 | 6.8 | 72.3 | .0 | .40 | 16.4 |
| Michael Thomas, N.O. | 16 | 6.5 | 77.8 | .0 | .31 | 16.2 |
| Davante Adams, G.B. | 14 | 5.3 | 63.2 | .0 | .71 | 15.9 |
| Julio Jones, Atl. | 16 | 5.5 | 90.3 | .9 | .19 | 15.7 |
| Adam Thielen, Minn. | 16 | 5.7 | 79.8 | .7 | .25 | 15.2 |
| A.J. Green, Cin. | 16 | 4.7 | 67.4 | .0 | .50 | 14.4 |
| Stefon Diggs, Minn. | 14 | 4.6 | 60.6 | .9 | .57 | 14.2 |
| Golden Tate, Det. | 16 | 5.8 | 62.7 | 1.4 | .33 | 14.2 |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt. | 14 | 4.1 | 65.5 | .0 | .57 | 14.1 |
| Marvin Jones, Det. | 16 | 3.8 | 68.8 | .0 | .56 | 14.1 |
| Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 16 | 4.7 | 61.9 | -.5 | .52 | 14.0 |
| Brandin Cooks, N.E. | 16 | 4.1 | 67.6 | 2.5 | .46 | 13.8 |
| Robert Woods, LAR | 12 | 4.7 | 65.1 | 1.0 | .42 | 13.8 |
| Mike Evans, T.B. | 15 | 4.7 | 66.7 | .0 | .36 | 13.5 |
| Sterling Shepard, NYG | 11 | 5.4 | 66.5 | .4 | .18 | 13.1 |
| Demaryius Thomas, Den. | 16 | 5.2 | 59.3 | .0 | .31 | 13.0 |
| Alshon Jeffery, Phil. | 15 | 3.7 | 52.1 | .0 | .67 | 12.9 |
| Robby Anderson, NYJ | 16 | 3.9 | 58.8 | .6 | .44 | 12.5 |
| Michael Crabtree, Oak. | 14 | 4.1 | 44.1 | .0 | .62 | 12.3 |
| Devin Funchess, Car. | 16 | 3.9 | 52.5 | .0 | .50 | 12.2 |
| Nelson Agholor, Phil. | 16 | 3.9 | 48.0 | .4 | .56 | 12.1 |
| Cooper Kupp, LAR | 15 | 4.1 | 57.9 | .0 | .33 | 11.9 |
| Dez Bryant, Dall. | 16 | 4.3 | 52.4 | -.3 | .38 | 11.8 |
| Mohamed Sanu, Atl. | 15 | 4.5 | 46.9 | .7 | .38 | 11.5 |
| Will Fuller, Hou. | 10 | 2.8 | 42.3 | .9 | .70 | 11.3 |
| Amari Cooper, Oak. | 14 | 3.4 | 48.6 | .3 | .50 | 11.3 |
| Kenny Stills, Mia. | 16 | 3.6 | 52.9 | .0 | .38 | 11.2 |
| Rishard Matthews, Tenn. | 14 | 3.8 | 56.8 | -.2 | .29 | 11.2 |
| T.Y. Hilton, Ind. | 16 | 3.6 | 60.4 | .0 | .25 | 11.1 |
| Jamison Crowder, Wash. | 15 | 4.4 | 52.6 | 2.3 | .20 | 11.1 |
| Jermaine Kearse, NYJ | 16 | 4.1 | 50.6 | .0 | .31 | 11.0 |
| Ted Ginn, N.O. | 15 | 3.5 | 52.5 | 2.6 | .27 | 10.6 |
| Randall Cobb, G.B. | 15 | 4.4 | 43.5 | 1.1 | .29 | 10.6 |
| Marqise Lee, Jac. | 14 | 4.0 | 50.1 | 1.2 | .24 | 10.6 |
| Marquise Goodwin, S.F. | 16 | 3.5 | 60.1 | 2.8 | .13 | 10.5 |
| Mike Wallace, Balt. | 15 | 3.5 | 49.9 | .3 | .27 | 10.1 |
| DeVante Parker, Mia. | 13 | 4.4 | 51.5 | .0 | .08 | 10.0 |
| Allen Hurns, Jac. | 10 | 3.9 | 48.4 | .0 | .20 | 9.9 |
| DeSean Jackson, T.B. | 14 | 3.6 | 47.7 | 2.7 | .21 | 9.9 |
| Sammy Watkins, LAR | 15 | 2.6 | 39.5 | .0 | .53 | 9.8 |
| Kelvin Benjamin, Buf.-Car. | 14 | 3.4 | 49.4 | .0 | .21 | 9.7 |
| Emmanuel Sanders, Den. | 12 | 3.9 | 46.3 | .0 | .17 | 9.5 |
| Paul Richardson, Sea. | 16 | 2.8 | 43.9 | .0 | .38 | 9.4 |
| Danny Amendola, N.E. | 15 | 4.1 | 43.9 | .0 | .13 | 9.3 |
| Jordy Nelson, G.B. | 15 | 3.5 | 32.1 | .0 | .40 | 9.1 |
—Ian Allan