Saints sign WR Brandin Cooks to a 2-year, $13 million deal

[sfidc3]

While I don't think it's a great signing, I'm ok with it. No he has not had a 1000 yd season since 21 but in 23 he had 650 on 54 catches and 8 TDs. if we get that production from him he'll exceed his contract and give us another deep weapon

I guess from a depth perspective it makes some sense but we've already got 2 smallish WR's that are similar in skill sets (though Olave is more dynamic).....and more pressing needs in other areas....

 

[DCSaints_Fan]

 

[B4YOU]

A 32 year old WR that only played 10 games due to an infection in his knee from a meniscus procedure avging career lows doesn't aspire confidence. Cooks was already losing his burst before then too.

I get it and don't think it's a great strategy. I figured Cooks was worth a Jarvis Landry type contract of 1yr/4.5M. I'm really curious about the guaranteed money and structure of the contract. If it's a 4.5M guaranteed deal, then it's basically a 1yr deal to retire a Saint and play WR3. Cedric Wilson is a WR5 and Bub Means needs to show he can be a WR3/4. If the guaranteed money is half the contract value, then I'd say it's a terrible signing.

 

[BoNcHiE]

I get it and don't think it's a great strategy. I figured Cooks was worth a Jarvis Landry type contract of 1yr/4.5M. I'm really curious about the guaranteed money and structure of the contract. If it's a 4.5M guaranteed deal, then it's basically a 1yr deal to retire a Saint and play WR3. Cedric Wilson is a WR5 and Bub Means needs to show he can be a WR3/4. If the guaranteed money is half the contract value, then I'd say it's a terrible signing.

To be fair, it's 2025. 4.5 million five years ago is like 7.5 million in today's NFL with the rapid contact inflation.

In that sense, we did get Cooks on a deal that is probably where it should be. If it's not fully guaranteed (and I'd assume it's not), then the second year is probably a wash if we want to cut him.

 

[texasjefe]

The Saints could win the SB and Sigler will find the one or two things he couldn’t stand about them making and winning the SB and write some BS article.

Sigler, the young hippie critic is clearly a negative lightning rod for many. But he's independent of the team, free to read I believe without a USA Today sub, and for years has written detailed articles on Saints cap and asset issues.

Here, he's sharing the work of an Over The Cap contributor Nick Korte who is billed with a reputation for accurately tracking and predicting compensation picks.

Sigler's not ripping the Cooks signing, he's just saying the asset cost to the Saints for this signing includes the loss of a 7th rounder 2026 comp pick (nobody cares). More importantly, if the Saints sign another qualifying free agent, they'll likely surrender a 4th round comp pick in 2026.

So, non-crap market free agency may be over for the Saints in 2025, or if it's not, the Saints don't care about a 2026 4th rounder they may gain from the Adebo loss.

 

[B4YOU]

To be fair, it's 2025. 4.5 million five years ago is like 7.5 million in today's NFL with the rapid contact inflation.

In that sense, we did get Cooks on a deal that is probably where it should be. If it's not fully guaranteed (and I'd assume it's not), then the second year is probably a wash if we want to cut him.

Landry's contact was 1yr/3M just 3 years ago. I think 4.5M-5.5M guaranteed deal is about right. Just need to wait for the details

 

[St. Geezy]

Sigler, the young hippie critic is clearly a negative lightning rod for many. But he's independent of the team, free to read I believe without a USA Today sub, and for years has written detailed articles on Saints cap and asset issues.

Here, he's sharing the work of an Over The Cap contributor Nick Korte who is billed with a reputation for accurately tracking and predicting compensation picks.

Sigler's not ripping the Cooks signing, he's just saying the asset cost to the Saints for this signing includes the loss of a 7th rounder 2026 comp pick (nobody cares). More importantly, if the Saints sign another qualifying free agent, they'll likely surrender a 4th round comp pick in 2026.

So, non-crap market free agency may be over for the Saints in 2025, or if it's not, the Saints don't care about a 2026 4th rounder they may gain from the Adebo loss.

Keep in mind...we won't lose the fourth if we sign someone whose contract voided or who got released. We aren't necessarily out of crap-market free agency.

Honestly, I am not really sure holding onto a 2026 fourth rounder is worth NOT signing someone you really want, much less possibly a few someones.

 

[texasjefe]

Keep in mind...we won't lose the fourth if we sign someone whose contract voided or who got released. We aren't necessarily out of crap-market free agency.

Honestly, I am not really sure holding onto a 2026 fourth rounder is worth NOT signing someone you really want, much less possibly a few someones.

The question all week, as prime FA season wanes, was whether Loomis would sign another $10-$15M free agent. He signed a $7M depth veteran receiver with an affordable out by 2026 if he's washed.

We can now say they were looking for a receiver in FA (makes sense given all the big unknowns in the WR room!), but Diggs, Allen, D. Johnson, etc... all carried way too much cash value to sign. And it makes me think they do not want to waste time with all the current young receivers on the roster.

Who is left to go after in FA (list below)? Scherff? I don't see it. The Saints are working more in the bottom part of this chart, in year 2 of cap cleanup (a 4 year process).

2025 NFL Free Agents and Free Agency

Listing all of the 2023 NFL free agents and free agent contracts of the . Sort free agents by team or position

overthecap.com

Receiver Room - who steps up to grab 1 or 2 spots (in case they do not draft a receiver early)? Who goes to the practice squad? Bub Means, are you an NFL player or not? Time to evaluate with the intent to move some guys out. I haven't been this excited for OTA's since I was a much younger sonofabitch.

 

[DCSaints_Fan]

Keep in mind...we won't lose the fourth if we sign someone whose contract voided or who got released. We aren't necessarily out of crap-market free agency.

Honestly, I am not really sure holding onto a 2026 fourth rounder is worth NOT signing someone you really want, much less possibly a few someones.

I thought signing anyone counted in the comp picks calculation as a FA gain (except for RFAs and draftees), no matter how the become an FA, but releasing them wouldn't count as a FA loss (only expired contracts). Not sure about voids.

Edit: NVM its not the case. This only applies to CFAs "compensatory free agents", whether they are gained or lost. CFA excludes anyone released, only expiring contracts. And also excludes any RFAs as they are compensated in another matter if the team tenders them.

I'm not sure Cooks would even qualify anyway as he wasn't within the "top 50%" of league players in the prior year.

The Basics and Methodology of Projecting the NFL's Compensatory Draft Picks | Over the Cap

The Basics and Methodology of Projecting the NFL's Compensatory Draft Picks | Over the Cap

overthecap.com

 

[ELLIASJWILLIAMS]

I like this signing because we can probably pick up a good starting LG in round 2. Can therefore take a BPA playmaker in rd 1 or Trade back for some extra draft picks and take a decent corner like Barron or Revel in middle of rd 1

There’s a study that suggest OL hits regress at a high rate after the 2nd round. The higher you draft them the better, that doesn’t suggest that you can’t hit w/ late round prospects…just that you’re less likely to.

Packaging our two 3rd’s to move back into the 2nd could make sense

 

[Innominate]

I don't recall which game it was. Cooks was breaking open. I point at him and yell, Cooks, Cooks, Cooks! Like Drew could hear me from up in 612. Drew hit him for a TD. To this day one, when we score a long TD, one of my friends still says Cooks, Cooks, Cooks.

 

[RaginSaint93]

Will Cooks keep the number 10?

 

[RaginSaint93]

I don't recall which game it was. Cooks was breaking open. I point at him and yell, Cooks, Cooks, Cooks! Like Drew could hear me from up in 612. Drew hit him for a TD. To this day one, when we score a long TD, one of my friends still says Cooks, Cooks, Cooks.

Was it this play?

 

[Innominate]

Was it this play?

I don't think so. He did score in that end zone. I was thinking we were around our 30 or 40. But I've had a couple vodaks since then.