Rams WR Brandin Cooks Not On Trade Block?

According to Peter King, two sources told him Rams WR Brandin Cooks is not on the trading block. 

Previous reports had indicated Cooks was one of the players the Rams made available as they looked to reshape their salary cap.

Cooks sparked some speculation himself by tweeting “Free me,” which drew parallels to another receiver who was recently traded, Stefon Diggs. 

However, King points out Cooks could have been referring to the quarantining going on amidst the global pandemic.

Though his sources contradict earlier reports, King adds if the Rams were to change their minds, the Redskins, Eagles, Raiders or Packers would make sense as trade partners for Cooks. 

Cooks, 26, is a former first-round pick of the Saints back in 2014. He was entering the final year of his four-year, $8.4 million contract when he was traded to the Patriots in 2017. 

New England later picked up his fifth-year option for the 2018 season before trading him to the Rams for first- and sixth-round picks. From there, Cooks agreed to a five-year extension worth $81 million with Los Angeles. 

According to OverTheCap.com, trading Cooks would result in an additional $1 million cap hit while creating $17.8 million in dead money. 

In 2019, Cooks appeared in 14 games for the Rams and caught 42 passes for 583 yards receiving and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 52 yards on six carries. 

We’ll have more regarding the Rams and Cooks as the news is available.