Brandin Cooks knows he isn’t alone on the Houston Texans’ roster when it comes to his skillsets as a receiver.
The former 2014 New Orleans Saints first-round pick pointed out to his position teammates that they all have a similar trait.
“I think one of the biggest things I tried to portray was like, ‘:isten, we all have such a special skillset,'” Cooks said. “‘The beautiful thing is that we all can run.’ Being on an offense where everyone can really take the top off — you look forward to it.”
Cooks is a receiver who excels in the deep passing game. However, Cooks sees all aspects of having a speedy receiver on the field. It doesn’t mean he will get every target, or that he will be open most of the time. What it does mean is defenses have to respect his ability to get behind defenses and adjust accordingly.
Throw in Kenny Stills, Will Fuller, and Randall Cobb in the slot underneath, and defensive coordinators will be put into conflict when it comes to who needs containment.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about how we can help one another get open, like I talked about earlier, and understanding that there are so many targets out there to go around that we’re all going to get ours,” Cooks said.
There is some doubt that Cooks will be able to generate 1,000-plus receiving yards in his first season with the Texans, a feat that he accomplished in his first seasons with the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams. With an offense predicated on quarterback Deshaun Watson’s decision making, the ball may be spread out too much for Cooks to be consistently impactful in fantasy football.
“But when it’s our time to help someone else out, give it your all, as well,” said Cooks. “I think having that attitude and mindset with the receiving group that we already have — I think it’s going to take it a long way.”
Texans fans are hoping an AFC Championship Game berth is a stop on that long way.
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