The Houston Texans are in the midst of completing their rebuild, which means they may jettison some veteran talent if it means adding capital for the 2022 NFL draft and beyond.
According to Brad Spielberger from Pro Football Focus, one Texans veteran who could be on the move in 2022 is receiver Brandin Cooks. In Spielberger’s scenario, the Las Vegas Raiders, who had two former New England Patriots in coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, would send a 2022 fourth-rounder and a 2023 second-rounder for Cooks, who played for the Patriots for one season in 2017. The Texans would bury $7.5 million in dead money while the Raiders took on Cooks’ $13,735,294 contract for just one year.
New Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler know Cooks well from his time spent with the New England Patriots in 2017. Cooks put up a career-best 16.6 yards per reception, going over 1,000 total yards on the season en route to a Super Bowl appearance. The following season, Cooks played against the Patriots in the Super Bowl as a member of the Los Angeles Rams.
Of course, the scenario discounts the fact that McDaniels’ younger brother, Ben McDaniels, the Texans’ receivers coach and pass game coordinator, sees the value in having Cooks on the roster after having worked with him in 2021.
“Cookie is a special guy,” McDaniels told reporters on Feb. 22. “He’s a great pro. He’s a special person. He’s a leader in the receiver room. He’s a leader in our locker room. He’s a leader currently for the receiver room, a pretty young room, and really I would say, for all our young players, he really represents someone that they should watch and learn from. So, I’m grateful to be in the room with him.
“I enjoyed it a year ago getting to know him both as a person and as a player and have the utmost respect for what he has done and what he will continue to do.”
Even though the Texans are seeking to finish the rebuild, they are also hopeful to win games. As such, they may not be interested in parting with such a valuable veteran.