Brandin Cooks could be the next offensive weapon the Saints trade away

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks could be on the trading block after this season, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

The Saints’ speedster is a bit of an extra luxury for the team since the emergence of Willie Snead and Michael Thomas. He’s not getting the kind of work he’s used to, and with only 75 targets and 51 catches this season, he’s on pace for well under the 129 balls Drew Brees threw to him last year.

Cooks made it clear ahead of this week’s game against the Lions that he wants more to do in the offense. He didn’t have a single touch in last week’s 49-21 dismantling of the Rams.

However, head coach Sean Payton denied reports the franchise was looking to deal its playmaking receiver.

The Saints drafted Cooks with the 20th overall pick in 2014. He’s got one more year on his contract after this one, with a base salary of just $1.5 million and a cap hit of $2.6 million.

It’s the contract after this one that has the Saints reportedly thinking trade. Snead is a second-year player and Thomas is a rookie, and both come cheaper than Cooks will. Given New Orleans’ desperation to get out of constant cap trouble, there’s no need to spend big on receivers when they have a pair still working on their rookie deals.

If Cooks does get put on the trade block, he’ll be an incredibly popular player for teams looking to add an explosive receiver, something that’s hard to find. Cooks will be 24 next September, and a team trading for him would be on the hook for his next deal, likely a very lucrative one.