Brandin Cooks hopes Antonio Brown gets another shot: ‘He means a lot to me’

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.

Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb: We want the best for Antonio Brown

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.

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.”

What are the Rams’ options with Brandin Cooks moving forward?

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.

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8 offseason moves to make the Rams Super Bowl contenders again in 2020

The Rams should consider making these eight moves in order to get back to the Super Bowl next year.

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

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.

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Watch: Brandin Cooks scores first TD since Week 2 on perfect drive by Rams

Brandin Cooks scored his second touchdown of the season Saturday.

Brandin Cooks has had a disappointing season marred by concussions and a lack of production, but he got going early on Saturday night against the 49ers. On the Rams’ opening drive, Cooks caught Jared Goff’s pass in the back of the end zone for six points, his first touchdown since Week 2.

It was Goff’s fourth completion on the first possession of the night for the Rams, all of which came on bootlegs to four different receivers.

FAST START, FELLAS!@JaredGoff16 ➡️@brandincooks pic.twitter.com/WXCnnTWpE4

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 22, 2019

Cooks now has two touchdowns and 514 yards on the season. He’ll snap his streak of four straight years with at least 1,000 yards receiving.

How WR absences vs. Bears paved way for Rams’ offensive resurgence

The Rams were forced to adapt when Woods and Cooks were out in Week 11, and it has made the offense better as a whole.

It seemed like a recipe for disaster when 90 minutes before the Rams kicked off against the Bears in Week 11, it was announced that Robert Woods wouldn’t be available. He was never listed on the injury report, so him being inactive was a complete and utter surprise to fans.

We now know he was handling a personal matter, which he returned from the following week. But for that one night with Brandin Cooks already out with a concussion, it seemed like the Rams might be in big trouble as a shorthanded offense.

Not only did the Rams overcome those two WR absences, but it may have actually helped them in the long run.

In that game against the Bears, the Rams hardly ran their usual 11 personnel with three receivers and one tight end. Instead, there was a heavy dosage of 12 personnel, where two tight ends were on the field a time – a mild rarity in Sean McVay’s offense.

The result: A 17-7 win with 110 yards rushing, the Rams’ most in a game since Week 2. It wasn’t the prettiest game or the Rams’ best victory, but it came one week after the Rams were beaten by the Steelers 17-12, a game in which Todd Gurley didn’t touch the ball in the fourth quarter.

McVay’s ability to adapt was put in the spotlight and he responded by shifting his game plan after he was told a few hours before the game that one of his best offensive players wouldn’t be able to play.

He discussed how that game changed the Rams’ philosophy and forced them to adapt during Wednesday’s press conference.

“Against Chicago, you had some late changes where guys weren’t able to go,” McVay said. “That kind of just forced us to adjust and adapt. You end up seeing some of the success and the good things that both Tyler (Higbee) and Johnny (Mundt) did in there and you say, ‘All right, well let’s build off of this.’ What it does is it serves as a natural chance for some of our receivers to stay fresher throughout the whole game. … Like we’ve talked about before, for me, I’m learning that each year is a totally different deal. Maybe, what helped us be successful the first couple years, you’ve got to be able to adjust and adapt and most importantly, like always talk about, utilize your players. I think Johnny Mundt has done some good things that have earned the right to get on the grass.”

In the last two games, the Rams have rushed for 294 yards, only turned it over twice and won each game by at least two touchdowns. The offense has looked more balanced and Tyler Higbee is being featured as a receiver.

He has 14 catches for 223 yards and a touchdown in his last two games, catching seven passes and eclipsing 100 yards in each one. It’s no coincidence that his emergence has partly been the result of the Rams giving their wide receivers playing less, with Brandin Cooks (27) and Cooper Kupp (20) playing fewer snaps than Johnny Mundt (50) did on Sunday against the Seahawks.

McVay is forcing teams to prepare for other personnel groupings besides his three-receiver sets. It makes things more difficult for opponents, because now they have to account for Higbee and the ground game more.

As bad as it was for them to lose Cooks and Woods in Week 11 against the Bears, it may have opened McVay’s eyes in a way that has helped the offense in recent weeks.

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Sean McVay explains lack of snaps for Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp

Here’s why Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp played fewer than 30 snaps each against the Seahawks.

Since Sean McVay was hired as head coach of the Rams in 2017, the offense has had three receivers, one running back and one tight end on the field the majority of the time. With players such as Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Brandin Cooks and Sammy Watkins, it’s easy to understand why McVay loves to use 11 personnel.

In the last few weeks, though, the Rams have changed things up a bit. Against the Bears with Woods and Cooks out, the Rams used more two-tight end sets and pounded the football with Todd Gurley. They did that again on Sunday night against the Seahawks, and it resulted in Kupp and Cooks playing very little.

Kupp played 20 snaps and Cooks played 27, which is surprising considering Johnny Mundt was on the field for 50 of the Rams’ 70 plays. It was an interesting approach that clearly worked as the Rams rolled to a 28-12 victory over Seattle.

On Monday, McVay explained what went into Kupp and Cooks’ limited playing time. There are a couple of aspects to that decision, beginning with the Rams trying to diversify the scheme and balance out the offense.

“I think a lot of it is, ‘What do we think is the best way to have a little bit of a balance on some of the early downs? What do we think is the best way in some instances to run the football?’” McVay said. “It is also predicated on, ‘All right, what does this defense do and what does that mean in terms of some of the matchups that you want to create?’

“Then, you get a chance to evaluate and see a player like Johnny Mundt step up and say, ‘Maybe these are some things that we can have the defenses have to prepare for some different personnel groupings if we think it’s the best thing for us to do.’”

Another reason for the Rams limiting Kupp and Cooks’ playing time is an attempt to keep them fresh not only throughout the season, but over the course of a game. McVay points out that all of the Rams’ receivers are asked to block often and they’re almost treated like fullbacks.

McVay believes that by reducing the number of times they’re asked to block by utilizing tight ends instead, the wideouts are sharper in passing situations with their route running and receiving situations.

“We joke around about it, but I mean some of the blocks that we’ve asked Robert Woods to take part in or Josh Reynolds and Kupp, those guys are basically like fullbacks based on some of the concepts that we do run,” he said. “While you appreciate their willingness to do all those things, over the course of a 16-game season and if you’re fortunate to play afterwards, you do want to be mindful of the toll that that takes on them to try to keep them as fresh, as healthy as possible.”

He continued: “It is partly by the game plan, but then it’s also – I thought it was good because you can see we’re a little bit fresher in some of those known passing situations where our receivers are so important to us. If they’re not having the pressure of playing every single snap, I think it does make you a little bit more sharp and crisp in some of those situations where you might be a little bit more inclined to throw the football. We’re kind of working through it, we’re figuring it out. It was something that helped us out last night and as we start to dive into Dallas, we’ll figure out if that’s part of the plan for this week.”

The Cowboys defense has been good against the pass, ranking seventh in yards and ninth in touchdowns allowed, but their run defense is really struggling. They’ve allowed at least 100 yards rushing in each of the last seven games and are third in the league in missed tackles with 104 – 25 more than the Rams have missed, for reference.

Don’t be surprised if the Rams once again go with a run-heavy attack and utilize their tight ends more than their wide receivers, especially if Gerald Everett returns from injury. It may cost the receivers some snaps, but it does balance out the offense and give defenses another wrinkle to prepare for.

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4 takeaways from the Rams’ 45-6 loss to Baltimore

The Rams were embarrassed by Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens on primetime. Here are four takeaways from the depressing outing.

The Los Angeles Rams were embarrassed on Monday Night Football by the Baltimore Ravens. It was complete opposite of last year’s barnburner on Monday Night Football against Kansas City. Here’s a few takeaways from the primetime debacle.

Rams’ defense nonexistent

It appears that something must have happened to the Rams over the past week that didn’t allow their defense to practice or come up with a game-plan to stop Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore offense. Maybe Wade Phillips just gave the team the week off. Any excuse as to why the Rams forgot to come up with a game-plan would be less embarrassing than if this was actually their game plan.

The Ravens scored a touchdown every single time they touched the ball in the first half and Lamar Jackson completed all nine of his passes. The Rams were hopeless every time the defense touched the field.

Something also must have happened at halftime that caused the Rams to make any adjustments, because if they actually attempted to make any adjustments, they were meaningless. Baltimore scored a touchdown on their first two possessions of the second half before Lamar Jackson called it a night.

These games happen to everyone. Good teams get blown out. Bad teams get blown out. Mediocre teams get blown out. The Rams were decimated by Baltimore’s elite offense. It happens. But it certainly stings a little more when it’s on primetime and it drops your record to 6-5.

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Brandin Cooks says retirement ‘never went through my mind’ after concussion

Brandin Cooks never considered retirement after suffering his second concussion of the season.

Brandin Cooks is back with the Rams after missing the last two games due to a concussion. It was his second concussion of the season and his fourth in the last two years, raising some concern about his health.

Cooks went to see concussion specialists in Pittsburgh during the Rams’ bye week, trying to get to the root of his frequent head injuries. The Rams understandably wanted to play it safe with their wide receiver, as evidenced by Sean McVay saying Cooks has been “ready to roll for a couple weeks now,” but he’s fully healthy and will play against the Ravens on Monday night.

On Friday, Cooks spoke to the media for the first time since suffering the concussion in Week 8. During his press conference, he was asked whether he ever considered retirement or stepping away from the game. His answer was pretty definitive.

“Absolutely not. No doubt about it,” Cooks said. “When it happened that never went through my mind. Even now it’s not going through my mind. I’m just thankful for a great team around me for me to be able to comfortable coming out here to play.”

Cooks got a new helmet that he’ll wear against Baltimore, which will hopefully help prevent some of the head injuries he’s suffered throughout his career. “Other than that, everything else is the same,” he said.

Given how often he’s suffered concussions in his career, it’s easy to be concerned about the possibility of him getting another one. Cooks isn’t worried about it, though, and he doesn’t think anyone else should be, either.

“To be very honest with you, not really concerning at all. I understand that it’s one of the things that’s part of the game. At the end of the day, what’s going through my mind is like, ‘OK, let’s get some answers.’ Then figuring out what’s going on,” he said. “It’s a blessing that I don’t have ever have symptoms after. But at the end of the day, once again, I think it’s one of those things that’s a case-by-case thing. Mine was very unique and just thankful once again to be able to go and get answers and the team helping me out with that.”

Going to the specialists helped, Cooks said, gaining some information about concussions that he found “extremely helpful.” Finding answers for why he’s had four concussions in two years is difficult, but he doesn’t seem to think there’s any rhyme or reason behind it.

“You think about it from a standpoint that there’s so many systems that’s going on throughout the body,” he explained. “Some of those, the better that you can train and stay on top of. It’s just like any muscle the more that you train it the stronger that it can become. Other than that, I just think it’s an anomaly. It’s part of the game and you just never know, right?”

Cooks seems to be in a good place and ready to roll for Week 12, but there’s no doubt fans and likely the coaches will be watching closely when he takes his first big hit on the field. Just don’t be surprised when he bounces back up as he often does.

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Why Brandin Cooks’ return is huge for Rams with Robert Woods still away

The Rams will have Brandin Cooks back, which is huge for the offense with Robert Woods still away.

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The Los Angeles Rams offense looked very different on Sunday night against the Bears than it did in Week 1. There were two new starters at wide receiver and three new faces on the offensive line, as well as Johnny Mundt replacing Gerald Everett as one of the two starting tight ends.

They had to thrust Josh Reynolds and Mike Thomas into larger roles with Brandin Cooks still recovering from a concussion and Robert Woods tending to a family matter. Being without both players was a big hit to the offense, given the importance of both players’ roles.

It’s unclear when Woods will return to the team and there’s a chance he could miss Monday’s game, but Sean McVay shared some good news on Cooks’ recovery Wednesday. He confirmed the wideout will be back on the field Monday night against the Ravens after missing two games.

“Brandin Cooks is back, he’s excited to be able to play,” McVay said. “He’s felt good for a couple weeks, so when he’s feeling good and we’ve gotten the thumbs up from everybody else, that makes us all feel good. He’s going to play and we’re excited about that.”

This is huge news for the Rams, to say the least.

Cooks has been the least impactful of the Rams’ top three wide receivers this season, but that doesn’t make him unimportant. He simply hasn’t gotten as many opportunities as Woods and Cooper Kupp.

His return to the field changes things dramatically for the Rams offense. With Cooks and Woods both out in Week 11, the Rams went with a completely different approach offensively. They utilized two-tight end sets on 34 plays, which is the highest total of the season. They ran the ball 34 times and Jared Goff only attempted 18 passes, the fewest in his career.

The Rams set out to run the ball straight at the Bears, and it worked to the tune of a 17-7 win. But as we’ve seen all season, McVay prefers to throw the ball over run it. It’s just that putting the ball in the air 40 times with Reynolds and Thomas as two of the top three receivers wasn’t a recipe for success.

We all know how reliant McVay is on 11 personnel, having three receivers on the field more than 90% of the time. The Rams can get back to that on Monday night against the Ravens with Cooks, Kupp and Reynolds, leaving Thomas and his unreliable hands in the No. 4 spot.

Cooks’ speed will also be very valuable. He can stretch a defense like few receivers can, and against the Ravens’ cornerbacks, that’s critical. While Marlon Humphrey has good speed, Marcus Peters and Brandon Carr are somewhat lacking in that area.

If the Rams can get Cooks matched up on Peters or Carr, they can take advantage against single-high safety looks when it’s essentially one-on-one outside. Thomas and Reynolds simply don’t possess that same level of speed as Cooks.

The biggest benefit of Cooks’ return is having three receivers Goff is comfortable with. The Rams clearly shied away from using too many three-receiver sets against the Bears because of his and Woods’ absences, but that should change on Monday night.

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