Patriots’ decision to trade Brandin Cooks makes even more sense after signing Jordan Matthews

Tom Brady won’t have Brandin Cooks or Danny Amendola to throw to in 2018 after losing his No. 1 and No. 3 targets to trade and free agency, respectively. Fortunately for the reigning MVP, the Patriots have made sure he has nothing to worry about.

New England took another step to bolster an already-deep roster Thursday, reportedly signing former Eagles and Bills wide receiver Jordan Matthews to a one-year deal. The four-year veteran will join a receiving corps that includes Rob Gronkowski, Chris Hogan, Philip Dorsett, Malcolm Mitchell, Kenny Britt, and, most importantly, a healthy Julian Edelman.

It’s a smart buy-low pickup that stands to benefit both sides. Matthews proved his value his first three seasons in the league, leading the Eagles over that span in receptions (225), receiving yards (2,673), and touchdown catches (19). His stock tumbled after being traded to the Bills and fighting through injuries, and now 2018 will be his “prove it” year. That’s good news for the SEC’s all-time receptions leader; he’ll spend his season with a quarterback known for elevating his wide receivers throughout a Hall of Fame career.

It’s no coincidence Cooks was traded one day after Matthews visited the Patriots as a free agent. While each of these players provide different skillsets — Cooks is a burner who operates best down the sideline on deep passes while Matthews is best suited as a slot receiver who can catch a volume of shorter targets — New England clearly saw the opportunity to mitigate the loss of a top receiver with a low risk, high reward player who has proven he can churn out yardage in the right situation.

Swapping Cooks for Matthews doesn’t look like a fair trade, but while Cooks saw more passes from Brady than anyone else on the roster last fall, it’s clear the Pats failed to see him as the true WR1 he’d need to be paid like after 2018.

New England’s deep needs next fall will be covered by Hogan (an NFL-high 17.9 yards per catch in 2016) and Dorsett, assuming he makes the team’s final roster. The bigger need in Foxborough was replacing Amendola’s output — production that spiked in 2017 thanks to a) his uncharacteristic durability (he played in 15 games for just the third time in a nine-year career) and b) injuries that kept Edelman, Hogan, and Mitchell out of the lineup for 39 of a possible 48 games played between them.

Matthews can fill that role and play Butch Cassidy to a rehabilitated Edelman’s Sundance Kid. While drops have plagued his NFL and NCAA careers, it’s arguable his early peak with the Eagles failed to fully utilize his talent. He was pushed into a WR1 role in Philadelphia, and while he was versatile enough to handle the routes and expectations the franchise threw at him, his skillset suggests he’s more valuable in a supporting, high-volume spot in the slot. If any team is built to glean the most from his talent, it’s a Patriot club that pushed players like Brandon LaFell, Reche Caldwell, and David Givens to career-high performances.

That deal was already a win for Belichick. New England received the draft value equivalent of an extra early fourth-round pick for the burden of letting him be its top receiver for a season, all while avoiding the escalating final year’s salary of his expiring contract. This latest signing shows there was a plan in place that allowed the team to pick up a first-round pick without losing substantial production for 2018. And instead of paying Cooks $8.5 million for his work, the club will owe Matthews substantially less.

Matthews has his caveats. He was traded from an Eagles team that spent its 2017 loading up on receiving talent even before injuries led to the least productive season of his career. He suffered through a quiet free agency period while less accomplished receivers like Paul Richardson and Taylor Gabriel signed lucrative, longer deals. It’s possible he fails to reach the standard he set in Philadelphia.

But he’s also a determined receiver who runs crisp routes and will be working hard to restore his value as an NFL starter. The Patriots — the franchise that turned Danny Amendola into a $12 million man with the Dolphins at age 32 — are the perfect place to do that. Jordan Matthews doesn’t have to be Brandin Cooks to be a success in New England. He just has to be the next cog in Brady’s ever-churning receiver machine.