Brandin Cooks is on the move. Again. The Cowboys are picking him up as Cooks continues to build a case as the most well-traveled player in league history.

Per reports, the Texans will receive a fifth-round pick this year, as well as a sixth-round pick in the 2024 draft. That might seem like a modest price tag, but Cooks didn’t want to play in Houston. He was furious when the Texans were unable to finalize a trade with the same team at the deadline last year, skipping some practices and being held out of a game.

The Cowboys were looking for a proven, quality receiver to play opposite CeeDee Lamb, and Cooks should help in that regard. He’s a lot better than Michael Gallup, and he’s a lot better than Noah Brown (who signed a free agent deal with the Texans). It’s not a good year for wide receivers in the draft, so would be unlikely that Dallas could select a Cooks-type receiver in the second round.

With this deal, Cooks has been traded four times, tying Eric Dickerson’s all-time record. He’s been a difficult guy to work with, apparently. In Jeff Duncan’s book about Drew Brees and Sean Payton, there’s mention of Cooks being more worried about his numbers than about the team in general. The Patriots and Rams have also traded him away.

With this move, Cooks is also positioned to make a run at being the first receiver in league history to finish with top-20 numbers for five different teams. (That’s using PPR scoring). As things stand, he’s one of three who’s done it with four teams, joining Brandon Marshall and Terrell Owens. Seven other receivers have had top-20 seasons with three different teams: Charlie Joiner, Harold Jackson, Randy Moss, Keenan McCardell, James Lofton, Irving Fryar and Amari Cooper.

TOP-20 SEASONS WITH 3 DIFFERENT TEAMS
YearPlayerRecYdsAvgTDPPRRk
2007Brandon Marshall, Den.102132513.07282.29
2008Brandon Marshall, Den.104126512.26266.15
2009Brandon Marshall, Den.101112011.110276.97
2011Brandon Marshall, Mia.81121415.06239.711
2012Brandon Marshall, Chi.118150812.811334.62
2013Brandon Marshall, Chi.100129513.012305.55
2015Brandon Marshall, NYJ109150213.814343.23
2015Brandin Cooks, N.O.84113813.69253.614
2016Brandin Cooks, N.O.78117315.08246.310
2017Brandin Cooks, N.E.65108216.77221.215
2018Brandin Cooks, LAR80120415.16243.213
2020Brandin Cooks, Hou.81115014.26232.017
2021Brandin Cooks, Hou.90103711.56231.820
1997Terrell Owens, S.F.6093615.68201.620
1998Terrell Owens, S.F.67109716.415274.03
2000Terrell Owens, S.F.97145115.013323.23
2001Terrell Owens, S.F.93141215.216332.32
2002Terrell Owens, S.F.100130013.014321.93
2003Terrell Owens, S.F.80110213.89244.011
2004Terrell Owens, Phil.77120015.614280.56
2006Terrell Owens, Dall.85118013.913283.02
2007Terrell Owens, Dall.81135516.715307.03
2008Terrell Owens, Dall.69105215.310237.511
2010Terrell Owens, Cin.7298313.79224.317
2016Amari Cooper, Oak.83115313.95232.315
2018Amari Cooper, Oak.-Dall.75100513.47219.519
2019Amari Cooper, Dall.79118915.18246.510
2020Amari Cooper, Dall.92111412.15236.815
2022Amari Cooper, Cle.78116014.99248.010
1971Charlie Joiner, Hou.3168122.07141.115
1975Charlie Joiner, Cin.3772619.65139.619
1976Charlie Joiner, S.D.50105621.17197.65
1977Charlie Joiner, S.D.3554215.56125.219
1979Charlie Joiner, S.D.72100814.04195.613
1980Charlie Joiner, S.D.71113215.94208.27
1981Charlie Joiner, S.D.70118817.07230.85
1982Charlie Joiner, S.D.3654515.1090.520
1983Charlie Joiner, S.D.6596014.83179.015
1984Charlie Joiner, S.D.6179313.06176.319
1985Charlie Joiner, S.D.5993215.87194.216
1970Harold Jackson, Phil.4161315.05131.818
1971Harold Jackson, Phil.4771615.23140.716
1972Harold Jackson, Phil.62104816.94198.42
1973Harold Jackson, LAR4087421.913204.62
1974Harold Jackson, LAR3051417.15111.818
1975Harold Jackson, LAR4378618.37163.611
1976Harold Jackson, LAR3975119.35145.615
1977Harold Jackson, LAR4866613.96151.29
1978Harold Jackson, N.E.3774320.16148.018
1979Harold Jackson, N.E.45101322.57189.515
1991Irving Fryar, N.E.68101414.93188.520
1993Irving Fryar, Mia.64101015.85194.612
1994Irving Fryar, Mia.73127017.47246.010
1996Irving Fryar, Phil.88119513.611273.16
1997Irving Fryar, Phil.86131615.36253.69
1978James Lofton, G.B.4681817.86165.113
1979James Lofton, G.B.5496817.94174.720
1980James Lofton, G.B.71122617.34217.63
1981James Lofton, G.B.71129418.28248.44
1982James Lofton, G.B.3569619.95146.94
1983James Lofton, G.B.58130022.48239.66
1984James Lofton, G.B.62136122.07248.37
1985James Lofton, G.B.69115316.74209.78
1987James Lofton, Oak.4188021.55159.116
1991James Lofton, Buff.57107218.88212.212
1992James Lofton, Buff.5178615.46165.619
1996Keenan McCardell, Jac.85112913.33217.916
1997Keenan McCardell, Jac.85116413.75231.412
2000Keenan McCardell, Jac.94120712.85244.715
2001Keenan McCardell, Jac.93111011.96242.015
2003Keenan McCardell, T.B.84117414.09255.48
2005Keenan McCardell, S.D.7091713.19216.317
1998Randy Moss, Min.69131319.017306.72
1999Randy Moss, Min.80141317.712303.03
2000Randy Moss, Min.77143718.715313.24
2001Randy Moss, Min.82123315.010270.68
2002Randy Moss, Min.106134712.77292.54
2003Randy Moss, Min.111163214.717378.01
2005Randy Moss, Oak.60100516.88208.520
2007Randy Moss, N.E.98149315.223385.31
2008Randy Moss, N.E.69100814.611235.812
2009Randy Moss, N.E.83126415.213289.42

—Ian Allan