Update:
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the belief right now is that the Saints will be able to trade away WR Brandin Cooks by this afternoon with the Patriots and Titans both in the mix for him.
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Dianna Russini is reporting that the New England Patriots are considering trading CB Malcolm Butler to the New Orleans Saints for WR Brandin Cooks.
- Chris Mortensen reports that the Saints want a quality defensive starter and two draft picks over two years in return for Cooks.
This comes after the news that the Patriots have signed CB Stephon Gilmore to a big-money contract.
The Saints are clearly looking to trade Cooks in the coming days with the Eagles, Titans and Patriots reportedly in the mix for him.
Cooks, 23, is a former first-round pick of the Saints back in 2014. He’s entering the final year of his four-year, $8.4 million contract and stands to make a base salary of $781,599 for the 2017 season.
New Orleans will have to decide whether to pick up his fifth-year option in the coming months.
According to OverTheCap.com, trading Cooks would free up $1,563,198 of available cap space while creating $1,104,264 in dead money.
In 2016, Cooks appeared in 16 games for the Saints and caught 78 passes for 1,173 yards receiving and eight touchdowns. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 28 receiver out of 115 qualifying players.
As for Butler, the Patriots placed a first-round tender on him earlier in the week. The first-round tender will cost the Patriots $3.91 million for the 2017 season and net them a first-round pick if he receives an offer sheet from another team and they elect to pass on matching it.
Butler, 27, wound up signing on with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of West Alabama back in 2014. He played out the final year of his rookie contract.
In 2016, Butler appeared in all 16 games for the Patriots and recorded 63 tackles, one sack, four interceptions, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and 17 pass defenses.
We’ll have more regarding a potential Cooks trade as the news is available.
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