Saints trade WR Brandin Cooks to Patriots for 1st and 3rd round picks

Drew Brees will head into 2017 without his top receiver on the roster. The New Orleans Saints have traded Brandin Cooks — who led the team in receiving yards in 2015 and 2016 — along with a fourth-round pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for first- and third-round picks.

Cooks left his mark as one of the league’s fastest wideouts in his three seasons in New Orleans. The diminutive receiver torched defenses for 17 touchdowns and more than 2,300 yards the last two years, but also expressed displeasure with the team after failing to earn a target in a Week 12 blowout win over the Los Angeles Rams.

That allowed trade rumors to begin swirling as early as last December, though head coach Sean Payton vehemently denied them.

The Saints reconsidered after finishing 7-9 and missing the playoffs for the third straight season. While Cooks is entering his prime as a receiver, New Orleans has a sure-handed replacement to take his spot atop the depth chart. Michael Thomas had an eye-opening rookie season in 2016, catching 92 passes for 1,137 yards and nine touchdowns. While he isn’t the dynamic deep threat Cooks is, his 6’3 frame makes him a more dangerous red zone target.

The Patriots will hope Cooks’ emergence as a top-ten receiver with one future Hall of Famer carries over to his time with Tom Brady. Brees has turned several average prospects into Pro Bowl invitees thanks to his uncanny ability to find open targets downfield, but Brady has done the same.

By making this trade, New England is hoping Cooks won’t have a Kenny Stills-type downturn after leaving the friendly confines of the Superdome. Injuries on offense were the biggest hindrance to the Patriots a season ago, yet they still managed to find a ton of success. Even when they weren’t getting production out of multiple receivers, Brady stayed productive.

Now with Cooks, he figures to be even more so.

This trade is the second one the Patriots made on Friday, acquiring Kony Ealy and a third-round pick in exchange for a second-round pick. This is another big trade, and another sign the Patriots know what they want and typically are able to get what they want.

It’s hard to imagine 2017 will be anything but more Patriots dominance with the caliber of player they’re acquiring. But things are looking like they’ll be awfully slow on draft day with the Patriots moving first-, second- and third-round picks all on Friday.