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Is Brandin Cooks ... cooked?

Veteran receiver headed for the open market

Brandin Cooks is headed for free agency, but I don’t think he’ll be generating much interest on the open market. Nowadays, most teams are probably viewing him as a situational third receiver rather than a starter.

While Cooks has gone over 1,000 yards for four different franchises, he slipped last year. He caught only 26 passes for 259 yards, catching only 48 percent of the passes thrown his way. He averaged a career-low 10 yards per catch.

While Cooks missed seven games with injuries, and the Cowboys played without Dak Prescott for over half of the season, he simply wasn’t good. Dallas got better play out of not only CeeDee Lamb but also Jalen Tolbert.

Cooks will be 32 in September, making the odds of a bounce-back season look remote. I don’t see any team being too interested in giving him a big signing bonus. More likely, he’ll have to settle for a modest deal with incentives, with teams hoping he can be a contributor.

Cooks hasn’t been easy to work with in the past. The Saints got tired of him complaining about his role, sending him off the New England. Both the Patriots and Rams dumped him after two years. And Cooks griped his way out of Houston.

It’s not easy for 32-year-old receivers to put up good numbers. In the 32-team era, only 41 have finished with top-50 numbers (using PPR scoring). That’s almost two per year, on average. But of those guys, almost all were also productive as 31-year-olds.

Below see the numbers of those 41 receivers. Only one was less productive as a 31-year-old (Julian Edelman, who missed that season with a knee injury). Cooks averaged only 4.8 yards per target last year; that’s almost a yard below all of those receivers. Only two had slightly lower catch rates.

Below see all 32-year-old receivers since 2002 who’ve finished with top-50 PPR numbers. Only six of these guys didn’t also finish at least 51st the previous year, and I’ve got them tagged with black dots.

In a typical draft today, I think it would be reasonable for Cooks to go unselected.

32-YEAR-OLD RECEIVERS WITH TOP-50 NUMBERS
YearPlayerNoYdsTDPPRRkPrevious Year
2009Randy Moss, N.E.831,26413289.4269-1008-11 (12th)
2004Joe Horn, N.O.941,39911301.9278-973-10 (13th)
2010Reggie Wayne, Ind.1111,3556282.53100-1264-10 (3rd)
2004Marvin Harrison, Ind.861,11315287.3594-1272-10 (5th)
2015Larry Fitzgerald, Ari.1091,2159284.5763-784-2 (51st)
2011• Steve Smith, Car.791,3947268.0846-554-2 (66th)
2013Andre Johnson, Hou.1091,4075279.710112-1598-4 (6th)
2024Davante Adams, 2TM851,0638241.312103-1144-8 (10th)
2004Isaac Bruce, St.L.891,2926254.21269-981-5 (18th)
2002Rod Smith, Den.891,0275222.618113-1343-11 (3rd)
2005Eddie Kennison, K.C.681,1025212.51862-1086-8 (21st)
2008Hines Ward, Pitt.811,0437227.71871-732-7 (28th)
2006Terry Glenn, Dall.701,0476211.82062-1136-8 (15th)
2013Wes Welker, Den.7377810210.821118-1354-6 (7th)
2018• Julian Edelman, N.E.748506207.9210-0-0 (ACL inj)
2007Donald Driver, G.B.821,0482199.22392-1295-8 (5th)
2009T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Sea.799113188.12592-904-4 (21st)
2004Keyshawn Johnson, Dall.709816205.42645-600-3 (51st)
2005Eric Moulds, Buff.818164186.62888-1043-5 (20th)
2012Anquan Boldin, Balt.659214183.43057-887-3 (35th)
2022Adam Thielen, Min.707166180.03167-726-10 (28th)
2019Emmanuel Sanders, 2TM668695190.73271-868-5 (23rd)
2005Muhsin Muhammad, Chi.647504163.03393-1405-16 (1st)
2024Keenan Allen, Chi.707447186.434108-1243-7 (8th)
2010Chad Johnson, Cin.678314174.13472-1047-9 (15th)
2017Ted Ginn, N.O.537874159.63454-752-4 (48th)
2005• Bobby Engram, Sea.677783162.83436-499-2 (66th)
2008Torry Holt, St.L.647963161.63593-1189-7 (11th)
2003• Johnnie Morton, K.C.507404157.43529-397-1 (80th)
2005Terrell Owens, Phil.477636159.53677-1200-14 (6th)
2006Derrick Mason, Balt.687502154.63686-1073-3 (19th)
2021Cole Beasley, Buff.826931159.33982-967-4 (27th)
2002Keenan McCardell, T.B.616706164.34193-1110-6 (15th)
2018DeSean Jackson, T.B.417745151.34350-668-3 (45th)
2013Roddy White, Atl.637113152.14492-1351-7 (10th)
2011Deion Branch, N.E.517025151.24461-818-6 (31st)
2017• Danny Amendola, N.E.616592138.94423-243-4 (96th)
2017Jordy Nelson, G.B.534826137.24697-1257-14 (2nd)
2024DeAndre Hopkins, 2TM566105147.04875-1057-7 (22nd)
2016Brandon Marshall, NYJ597883155.849109-1502-14 (3rd)
2015• Nate Washington, Hou.476584136.84940-647-2 (66th)
2024Brandin Cooks?????26-259-3 (96th)

—Ian Allan

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