Cooks and Gurley both unfollowed the Rams on social media and had some cryptic activity.
The Los Angeles Rams seem willing to trade two of their top offensive players with reports suggesting both Brandin Cooks and Todd Gurley could be dealt this offseason. They each have large contracts with big cap hits in 2020, and with Los Angeles lacking cap space, the team could part ways with them to recoup draft picks and potentially free up some money.
It seems Gurley and Cooks are aware of the trade rumors, as evidenced by their recent social media activity.
For starters, neither player is following the Rams on Twitter or Instagram (h/t @RamsTodayIG, which is surprising. It’s not certain that they were before the rumors started, but considering they’ve each been with the team for multiple years and have either tagged or retweeted the Rams on social media before, it’s reasonable to think they were once following the team.
As if that’s not enough, Gurley’s comment on Aaron Donald’s farewell post to Michael Brockers was interesting, writing “It’s been real my brothers #OriginalSquad”. It could just be Gurley pointing out that all three players go back to the St. Louis days, but the wording is noteworthy.
After DeAndre Hopkins was traded Monday, Gurley posted a photo of him with Hopkins at a recent Lakers game with the caption, “Better Days!!” and a praying hands emoji. Again, maybe Gurley is just wishing Hopkins well, or perhaps he’s indicating better days are ahead for him, too.
As for Cooks, his recent activity is even more startling. On Twitter, he liked a fan’s tweet suggesting he reunite with Tom Brady, who’s a free agent and leaving the Patriots.
What’s more, Cooks liked a tweet pointing out this development, too.
On his Instagram story Monday, after his name was brought up in trade rumors, Cooks posted this. On its own, it probably means nothing, but paired with the rest of his social media activity, maybe Cooks is saying he’s ready if the Rams do decide to trade him.
No trade seems to be imminent with Gurley or Cooks, but the Rams are at least exploring the possibility of unloading those large contracts. Their asking price on Cooks is unknown, but according to Mike Silver of NFL Network, they’re seeking a pick in the range of the second to fourth rounds.
Between the trade rumors, the team’s new uniforms and SoFi Stadium opening, it’s going to be an eventful and exciting offseason in Los Angeles.
Brandin Cooks looks like he’s in the best shape of his life.
Brandin Cooks had an extremely disappointing season in 2019 after racking up at least 1,000 yards in each of the previous four years. Two concussions and missed time on the field certainly played a role in his struggles, seemingly never getting on the same page as Jared Goff.
He’s been hard at work this offseason and looks determined to bounce back in 2020. Cooks has been training with Travelle Gaines in Los Angeles, who’s also Todd Gurley’s trainer, and looks to be in excellent shape.
With everyone being cautious due to the spread of the coronavirus, Cooks has been working out at home and shared a few videos of his workouts recently and there doesn’t appear to be an ounce of fat on his body.
Obviously, much more goes into having success on the field than just working out and staying in shape, but Cooks knows his performance in 2019 wasn’t good enough. He’s putting in the necessary work to rebound with a campaign that more closely resembles the others he’s put together in the NFL.
“Personally, I just want to be the best I can possibly be to help my team get out of some of those situations,” Cooks told Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire last month. “I feel like I truly am more hungry — like that hunger I had before I made it into the league. That fight and that want and that desire from my childhood has risen back to the surface after what went on last year.”
The season is still six months away, but Cooks is already on the right track in 2020.
Waiting until March 20 makes moving Brandin Cooks nearly impossible financially.
After his first season without 1,000 yards receiving since his rookie year in 2014, questions have surfaced about Brandin Cooks’ future with the Los Angeles Rams. He had just 42 catches for 583 yards and two touchdowns last season, averaging career-lows in receptions per game and yards per game.
He missed two contests due to concussions last season, which limited his availability on the field and his time in practice. Those absences paired with a reduction in targets (117 in 2018 to 72 in 2019) resulted in a disappointing season for the wideout.
His contract is a pricey one, too, making it difficult for the Rams to get out of – if that’s the route they want to go. Trading Cooks saves more money than outright cutting him, but neither will add any cap space for the Rams.
And if they are going to make a move involving him, it had better be sooner rather than later. According to Spotrac, if the Rams cut or trade him after March 20, the cap savings gets reduced dramatically. If they cut him after that date, they’ll incur $29.8 million in dead money. That’s not going to happen. If they trade him after March 20, it’ll cost the Rams $4 million more than it would if he’s dealt before then.
This is all because his 2020 salary of $8 million becomes fully guaranteed on March 20. His $4 million roster bonus becomes guaranteed on March 15, too, so the clock is ticking for Los Angeles to make a move.
It’s almost certain Cooks will be on the Rams’ roster in 2020, given his past performance and the lack of savings that comes with moving him. It’s more feasible to trade or cut him in 2021.
The Rams would be wise to give Cooks, who had four straight years of 1,000 yards and at least five touchdowns, another year in Los Angeles.
Brandin Cooks doesn’t lack confidence in the Rams QB.
The combination of a $134 million contract and a disappointing 2019 season have fans and media members doubting the ability of Jared Goff to truly be a franchise quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams. There were factors that played into his regression last season, like the constant changes on the offensive line and the lack of support from the running game, but Goff was certainly to blame for his own struggles, too.
He’s received votes of confidence from those inside the walls of the Rams’ facility, most notably with Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and Sean McVay backing the young quarterback. Brandin Cooks has joined the chorus, saying unequivocally that Goff is the guy to lead the Rams back to prominence.
“Absolutely. Yes, he is the guy,” Cooks told Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire. “I mean, you talk about a guy that … we had so many different position changes along the offensive line last year. And for any quarterback, that is so tough. To still be able to stand in there and take the licks, it goes to show you that this guy is willing to do whatever it takes to win for his team. And at that young an age, when you have that mindset, special things happen.”
Cooks, himself, had a down year in 2019, too. He caught a career-low 42 passes for 583 yards and two touchdowns, averaging only three catches per game – 1.1 fewer catches per game than his previous low.
He and Goff didn’t connect on many deep passes at all in 2019, which is Cooks’ forte. It didn’t help that Cooks missed two games after suffering two concussions over the course of the season, which limited his practice time and availability.
Cooks and Goff should both bounce back in 2020 as the Rams attempt to regain the magic they found in 2017 and 2018.
Brandin Cooks is motivated to succeed in 2020 after a disappointing season.
Expectations were high for the Los Angeles Rams last season – as is the case for every team that makes it to the Super Bowl the year prior. With their sights set on getting back to the big game, Sean McVay’s squad came up well short of that goal, failing to even make the playoffs.
There was a lot that went wrong in L.A., particularly on offense. Jared Goff regressed, Todd Gurley’s numbers were underwhelming, the offensive line was a mess and Brandin Cooks endured the worst season of his career since he was a rookie.
Some of those struggles were out of Cooks’ control, considering he suffered two concussions and was only targeted 72 times – down from his career average of 109 per season. The result was a stat line of 42 catches for 583 yards and two touchdowns, all of which were either the fewest or second-fewest of his career. His average of 3.0 receptions per game was by far the worst he’s ever posted, too.
He’s been in the gym working out this offseason and is coming back hungrier than he ever has in the NFL.
“For me, I have that feeling like somebody took something away from me,” Cooks told Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire. “It’s something that’s so important, you want to do whatever it takes to get back to where you were, and better. For us as a team, you look at the fact that the year before, we went to the Super Bowl, and last year, we went through a lot of ups and downs. Personally, I just want to be the best I can possibly be to help my team get out of some of those situations. I feel like I truly am more hungry — like that hunger I had before I made it into the league. That fight and that want and that desire from my childhood has risen back to the surface after what went on last year.”
After the season ended, there was a consensus among players and coaches on what went wrong for the Rams in 2019. Wade Phillips mentioned it, Sean McVay pointed it out, as did Jared Goff and several other players: consistency.
The Rams would go from looking like a Super Bowl contender one week to being unable to score more than 20 points for weeks at a time. Cooks also noticed how inconsistent the Rams were, which he says they need to fix in 2020.
“It was one of those things where, how to we find the way to get back to our consistent play? There were too many inconsistencies last year,” he said. “We’d show why we are one of the best teams in the league, and then, the next week, we’d show why we shouldn’t be playing in the playoffs. We know it’s there, but how consistent can we be? That’s the biggest thing.”
The Rams have the talent to beat any team in the NFL, but games aren’t played on paper. They have to put it all together as a team, which they didn’t do enough last season.
When Rams receiver Brandin Cooks thinks about 2019, he feels as if something was taken from him. Here’s how he’s trying to get it back.
CALABASAS, Calif. — The 2019 season was not optimal for the Los Angeles Rams, or for receiver Brandin Cooks. The Rams went in one season from a 13-3 mark, the second seed in the NFC, and a trip to the Super Bowl to a 9-7 record, no playoffs at all, and a lot of questions about the franchise’s competitive future.
Similarly, Cooks, who signed a five year, $81 million contract extension with the Rams in July, 2018, saw his production drop from 80 catches for 1,204 yards and five touchdowns in 2018 to 42 catches for 583 yards and two touchdowns. Not that it was all Cooks’ fault — the offensive line was very much in flux, the run game fell apart, defenses seemed to figure out Los Angeles’ high-powered passing game to a point, and quarterback Jared Goff, on the heels of his own massive deal, saw his efficiency and consistency take a drop.
Cooks also missed time with two separate concussions, and his total snaps fell from 1,195 to 702. With all that in mind, Cooks spent early February in trainer Travelle Gaines’ Athletic Gaines gym, trying to get it all back. I spoke with him after a workout that left him short of breath — and would have likely put me in the hospital.
Rams receiver Brandin Cooks works out under the watchful eye of trainer Travelle Gaines. (Doug Farrar/USA Today Sports Media Group)
“It’s so early in the offseason, we’re just building an energy system — a lot of quick movement and pacing. Getting the tissue tolerance back up before I really start hitting it hard again on the field in about a month.”
This is Cooks’ first season with Gaines, a connection that came through an old friend from Gaines’ Oregon State days — receiver James Rodgers.
“James had trained with Travelle, and James and I are really close. James is kind of my mentor off the field when it comes to football and route-running. I told him that I’m staying here in L.A. because we’re building our place in Portland, and does he know anyone? It just clicked from there. You talk about a guy who truly cares about his craft when he comes in here… he’s going to continue to work. Even when we talk outside of here, just talking about how we can get better, life and stuff like that — just having those conversations like that. It’s beyond football.”
When minicamps start and the new season gets rolling, Cooks says, he’ll come to it with a different kind of hunger, based on everything going wrong in 2019.
“For me, I have that feeling like somebody took something away from me. It’s something that’s so important, you want to do whatever it takes to get back to where you were, and better. For us as a team, you look at the fact that the year before, we went to the Super Bowl, and last year, we went through a lot of ups and downs. Personally, I just want to be the best I can possibly be to help my team get out of some of those situations. I feel like I truly am more hungry — like that hunger I had before I made it into the league. That fight and that want and that desire from my childhood has risen back to to the surface after what went on last year.”
And for those who don’t believe that the Rams have what it takes to reclaim the NFC West title, Cooks wants to make it very clear — he thinks his team has the quarterback, and the mindset, to do just that.
Absolutely. Yes, he is the guy,” Cooks said of Goff when I raised that question. “I mean, you talk about a guy that… we had so many different position changes along the offensive line last year. And for any quarterback, that is so tough. To still be able to stand in there and take the licks, it goes to show you that this guy is willing to do whatever it takes to win for his team. And at that young an age, when you have that mindset, special things happen.”
Cooks believes that everything will be fine as long as the Rams’ offense plays within itself.
“It was one of those things where, how to we find the way to get back to our consistent play? There were too many inconsistencies last year. We’d show why we are one of the best teams in the league, and then, the next week, we’d show why we shouldn’t be playing in the playoffs. We know it’s there, but how consistent can we be? That’s the biggest thing.”
It’s a nice thought, but the jury is still out. Los Angeles fell from second to 16th in Football Outsiders’ opponent-adjusted offensive efficiency metrics, the defense is in serious transition after the team decided against extending the contract of defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, and the 2020 cap hits for the four top-paid players — Goff, defensive tackle Aaron Donald, running back Todd Gurley, and Cooks — total out at over $95 million. Not a lot of room for a rebuild, especially with the need to extend cornerback Jalen Ramsey with his own mega-deal.
If Cooks can regain the spark of his 2018 season, that would certainly help. When I asked him for the plays that have defined his performance over the last couple of seasons, both plays came from 2018. First, his 47-yard touchdown against the Vikings in Week 4, which was a footrace against cornerback Trae Waynes — which Waynes most definitely lost.
“The Minnesota game two years ago — not this past season, but the year before. It was a straight post route from the slot, Jared throws a perfect ball, and I ran underneath that thing, tracked it, and [it was a] touchdown to tie the game.”
Then, this 36-yard catch against the Saints in the NFC Championship game, which took the ball to the New Orleans 6-yard line, set it up for a Gurley touchdown, and put the Rams back in the game when it had been a 13-3 deficit. The move Cooks put on defensive back P.J. Williams from the inside of a stack release was just plain nasty.
“Left side, wide-and-go. Crunchtime situation before the half, Jared with another beautiful ball, catch at the goal line to help us bring that momentum to come back in the second half. That turned the game around.”
All this talk about momentum and turning things around? That’s Cook’s mindset at this point, and if it doesn’t happen in 2020, it certainly won’t be for lack of preparation on his part.
Touchdown Wire editor Doug Farrar previously covered football for Yahoo! Sports, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, the Washington Post, and Football Outsiders. His first book, “The Genius of Desperation,” a schematic history of professional football, was published by Triumph Books in 2018 and won the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Nelson Ross Award for “Outstanding recent achievement in pro football research and historiography.”
Brandin Cooks shared his thoughts on Antonio Brown’s situation and hopes the wideout gets another chance in the NFL.
Antonio Brown had a disastrous 2019 in which he was traded by the Steelers, cut by the Raiders and released by the Patriots – all due to factors that had nothing to do with his actual performance on the field. Brown essentially forced his way out of Pittsburgh, which led to the Steelers trading him to Oakland.
The Raiders grew tired of his antics during training camp, which included burning his feet in a cryotherapy machine and waging war with the NFL over which helmet he was allowed to wear.
Brown played just one game last season, which came with the Patriots in Week 2 against the Dolphins; he had four catches for 56 yards and one touchdown. New England cut Brown amid sexual assault allegations, and he’s remained a free agent ever since.
With his legal issues unresolved, no team has taken a chance on the seven-time Pro Bowler. That could change if Brown is exonerated, but as of now, his off-field issues have essentially made him untouchable.
Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks hopes that changes in 2020. Speaking to Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire, Cooks wouldn’t discuss Brown’s personal troubles, but did say he should get another chance with a team.
“I’m going to stay out of that,” Cooks said of Brown’s off-field transgressions. “But the one thing I will say is that he’s an unbelievable athlete and a special talent. I spent a week with him a couple years ago, and his work ethic is second to none. I truly pray that he gets another shot in the NFL, because he’s too talented not to be on a team. I love everything about that guy from the time I spent with him, and I continue to pray for him, because he means a lot to me.”
Farrar asked Cooks if Brown is the best route runner of his era, and the Rams receiver didn’t hesitate to agree with that statement.
“No question,” Cooks said. “You ain’t even got to say that twice.”
There’s no doubt Brown has the talent and skill set to really help a team and continue to be a Pro Bowl receiver, but he’s burned a lot of bridges lately, going as far as calling out the NFL for blackballing him with its ongoing and lengthy investigation.
The Saints brought him in for a workout last season before the playoffs, but they decided not to sign him. If he’s cleared of the charges against him, perhaps a team will give him another chance, but the future doesn’t look bright for Brown at the moment.
Rams receiver Brandin Cooks and Cowboys receiver Randall Cobb discuss the Antonio Brown situation with Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar.
CALABASAS, Calif. — The fraternity of NFL receivers is an interesting one. It’s a group of hyper-competitive guys who are all trying to set themselves apart from the pack, but there is still time to reflect on those whose stars have fallen for all kinds of reasons, whether self-inflicted or not.
Antonio Brown’s situation, self-inflicted as it is, was certainly on the minds of Los Angeles Rams receiver Brandin Cooks and Dallas Cowboys receiver (and soon-to-be free agent) Randall Cobb as they started their offseason work at Travelle Gaines’ Athletic Gaines facility near Los Angeles this week. Brown hasn’t played in the NFL since he was released by the Patriots following Week 2 of this past season, following accusations of sexual assault and rape by Britney Taylor, a gymnast he met while they were attending Central Michigan University who he later hired as his trainer.
Another woman accused Brown of sexual misconduct in a story published by Sports Illustrated. SI followed that story by reporting on Sept. 19 that the woman said Brown has been sending her intimidating text messages since the allegations surfaced.
Then in January, Brown was arrested and charged with felony burglary with battery, burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and criminal mischief stemming from an incident with a moving truck driver in Hollywood, Florida, and he verbally abused members of the Hollywood Police Department after they responded to a separate domestic disturbance at his home.
Brown had four catches for 56 yards and one touchdown in his lone game as a Patriot, a rout of the Miami Dolphins.
Prior to signing with New England, Brown had signed a mega-contract with the Oakland Raiders but was released after a series of conflicts with the team and management.
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
In a January interview with ESPN’s Josina Anderson, Brown said that he had been seen as the “cancer of the NFL” and was perceived as a “target.” It’s disturbing enough stuff to wonder more about Brown’s mental stability than his ability to catch footballs.
“I think I owe the whole NFL an apology and my past behavior,” Brown concluded. “I think I could have done a lot of things better.”
“I’m going to stay out of that,” Cooks said of the personal issues. “But the one thing I will say is that he’s an unbelievable athlete and a special talent. I spent a week with him a couple years ago, and his work ethic is second to none. I truly pray that he gets another shot in the NFL, because he’s too talented not to be on a team. I love everything about that guy from the time I spent with him, and I continue to pray for him, because he means a lot to me.”
I posited to Cooks that, at his peak, Brown was the best route-runner of his era, and Cooks readily agreed.
“No question,” Cooks said. “You ain’t even got to say that twice.”
Not that any of this matters now.
Cobb doesn’t know Brown as Cooks does, but his sentiment veered more toward personal issues.
“The only thoughts I have are that I hope he’s able to find the right people around him,” Cobb said. “I don’t know his situation, and I don’t know him personally, but I just hope for his well-being. That’s the only thing I care about. Football is … this life is a lot bigger than football. I hope that he’s able to take care of himself.”
Touchdown Wire editor Doug Farrar previously covered football for Yahoo! Sports, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, the Washington Post, and Football Outsiders. His first book, “The Genius of Desperation,” a schematic history of professional football, was published by Triumph Books in 2018 and won the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Nelson Ross Award for “Outstanding recent achievement in pro football research and historiography.”
If the Rams want to part ways with Brandin Cooks, what are their options this offseason.
Brandin Cooks was a big-ticket addition for the Los Angeles Rams before the 2018 NFL Draft, acquiring him from the Patriots for a first-round pick, as well as a sixth-rounder. Since then, he’s had two very different seasons.
In 2018, he caught 80 passes on 117 targets for 1,204 yards and five touchdowns. They were numbers that were on par with his previous three seasons, all of which included 1,000 yards and at least seven touchdowns.
But this past year, Cooks was far less productive. He sustained two concussions and missed two-plus games as a result, costing him valuable practice and game time. He finished the year with only 42 catches for 583 yards and two touchdowns, seeing just 72 passes come his way. There was even a stretch where he was targeted fewer than five times in six of seven games. In that span, he caught only 12 passes for 162 yards and no touchdowns. His concussions played a role in that ineffectiveness, but he simply wasn’t the playmaker he was in past years.
Josh Reynolds filled in well while Cooks was out and has shown in the last two seasons that he’s certainly capable of being a starter in the NFL. As a result, fans are wondering if the Rams should move on from Cooks by either trading him or simply cutting ties altogether.
Logically, it does make some sense. Financially, it makes very little.
Consider these numbers for a second, as they pertain to Cooks’ contract.
2020 cap hit: $16.8 million
Dead money if cut: $29.8 million
Dead money if traded: $17.8 million
So by parting ways with the receiver they just traded a first-round pick for and gave a massive extension to just two years ago, the Rams would lose money by trading or cutting Cooks. Outright cutting him simply isn’t an option unless the Rams want to pay $29.8 million for him to be a free agent.
Trading him is more possible, but it’s still unlikely because of the salary cap ramifications. The Rams have never been afraid to make the bold and unexpected move, of course, so nothing should be ruled out.
But in reality, their best option is to hold onto him for 2020 and hope he returns to the past form he showed from 2015-2018. If he can’t and they’d like to part ways before the 2021 season, it’s much move viable – though still not highly beneficial financially.
If they trade or cut him in 2021, they’ll save $3.8 million and take on $13 million in dead money. It’s not a huge savings, but it’s better than incurring a dead cap charge that’s more than his cap hit.
Expect Cooks to remain on the roster for next season, but beyond that is nowhere near determined.
The Rams should consider making these eight moves in order to get back to the Super Bowl next year.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
After three-plus months of battling and trying to right the ship, the Los Angeles Rams came up short of their primary goal this season: making the playoffs. In a year where the NFC was littered with Super Bowl contenders, the Rams’ 9-7 record wasn’t enough to get them into the dance.
After making the Super Bowl last season, heading home at the end of December is certainly not something the Rams saw coming. But, it’s the reality of not playing up to the standards and failing to find any sort of consistency over the course of 17 weeks.
Now, the Rams enter the offseason with endless questions. Will Wade Phillips be back? Will they trade Todd Gurley? What is Gerald Everett’s future? Can Sean McVay find his magic again?
No matter what happens this spring, the Rams will likely be considered one of the more dangerous teams in the NFC just based on the core they’ve built with Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey and Jared Goff. If they want to get back to the Super Bowl again, though, here’s a list of moves they should consider making.
Re-sign Cory Littleton
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
The Rams will probably have to decide between keeping Littleton or Dante Fowler Jr. If they can find a way to keep both, they absolutely should. But given their top-heavy roster with Jalen Ramsey still to pay, it’s hard to imagine them coming up with the funds to extend all of them. Quality pass rushers like Fowler are hard to find, but so are linebackers in the mold of Littleton.
He can do it all for the Rams, from covering running backs to defending the run to blitzing off the edge or up the middle. He finished the season with 134 tackles (six for a loss), 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles (four recoveries), two interceptions and nine passes defensed.
Here are all the players with at least 130 tackles, 3.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions this season: Cory Littleton.
That’s it.
He’s a unique linebacker who can do everything in the middle of the field for a defense, and someone the Rams must find a way to keep. They just have to hope Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Samson Ebukam and their other young pass rushers can step up in Fowler’s place if he leaves.
