Should The Raiders Trade For Brandin Cooks?

Brandin Cooks is reportedly available via trade. Should the Oakland Raiders trade for the dynamic Saints wide receiver?

News that Brandin Cooks could be on his way out of New Orleans came as a surprise to most. But if the young wide receiver is indeed on the trade block, should the Oakland Raiders jump at the opportunity?

The 23-year old receiver has emerged as one of the most dynamic players at the position, with back to back seasons of at least 78 receptions, 1,138 yards and 8 touchdowns. That kind of production would go a long way in taking Oakland’s offense to an elite level.

Cook’s talent is undeniable, and there is no question the kind of impact he’d have in Oakland. But at what price?

The Patriots reportedly offered the 32nd pick in the draft, and that wasn’t enough to get a deal done. Perhaps the 24th pick would be enough, but that’s a hefty asking price. It’s surely too rich for McKenzie’s blood.

Sure, it may not be likely that a player as good as Cooks will be found at 24th overall, but there are other factors to consider.

The Raiders do need a third receiver, as Seth Roberts is literally dropping the ball in that role. But for the 24th pick, there are several other more important areas of need that could be filled. Such as just about anywhere on defense.

Also, price and age are two other factors to consider. Cooks is still very young — he’ll be 24 in September — but a rookie is likely going to be 21 or so. Which doesn’t sound like a huge difference, but when you consider Cook’s contract — he’ll be due for a hefty payday at the same time as Khalil Mack — having to invest that kind of coin when the team will already be strapped for cash is a tough ask.

And it may sound silly, but there apparently is some beef amongst the New Orleans wide receiver corps, as the most explosive wideout in the group is trying to leave The Big Easy.

Saints rookie wide receiver Mike Thomas sent out the below tweet, which many are interpreting as a shot at Cooks, who is requesting a trade.

One very specific reason why people think there is beef is because, per nj.com:

"“After his first tweet, Thomas liked tweets that said “You better than Cooks, he not a bully like you!” and “Damn! Cooks wants a trade because Michael Thomas stole his shine? Sad”That message isn’t hard to read in to, especially given the timing. Although Thomas doesn’t mention Cooks by name in his tweet, it wasn’t hard to figure out who he was talking about — and Cooks seemed to agree.Six minutes after that tweet, Cooks fired off a tweet that read “Trigger fingers turn to Twitter fingers”, a shot right back at Thomas for seemingly talking about Cooks on Twitter.Cooks deleted the tweet, but the internet acts fast, so you can check out a screen shot of it here, here, here and here.”"

So, again, this seems silly. But it’s worth asking, why does Cooks want out of New Orleans? And if New Orleans is indeed willing to shop a player of his caliber, what does New Orleans know about him that’d they be willing to give him up?

But mainly, this is more about this draft class being absolutely loaded. Cooks is highly talented, but having a first-round pick in this class, considering McKenzie’s success rate in the first round, he could land a major talent that the team will have five years of control over on a rookie deal.

Must Read: Raiders Ultimate Offseason Primer

It’s tempting, but the Raiders should pass on trading for Brandin Cooks.