Brandin Cooks (1 Viewer)

[Whodatcolston]

So I was at the game yesterday and I had some observations on our future #1. I was one of the many people who thought he would absolutely explode this preseason. People will say that he's been disappointing this season, but he's still on pace for 80 catches and a little over 1,000 receiving yards. And he is still only 22 years old. I believe he is only going to get better.

However, I did notice yesterday that he's really not that good after the catch. It seems like we just can't seem to get him enough space on these little drag routes. I will say though, that from what I saw, Brees can't seem to hit him on some of those 20 - 25 yard crossing patterns. There were a couple that went over his head, and a couple that got thrown a couple feet out of reach. I remember mentioning to my brother that it's almost like Drew isn't used to his #1 receiver being 5' 10" yet. I feel like the quicker Sean Payton realizes that Cooks isn't a gadget receiver, the better our team will be.

I will defend Cooks though. Through 7 games he's been matched up against some of the top corners in the league. Patrick Peterson, Josh Norman, Desmond Trufant, & Vontae Davis. And in the games that he hasn't been matched up with a top corner, he had been the main focus of the other team's defense, opening things up for other players.

We still got a very special player on our hands, as evidenced by that 47 yard pass on 3rd and 8 from our own 2 yard line.

 

[fr3sh]

If I am formulating a gameplan against the Saints passing game, I take away Brandin Cooks and make you beat me with Watson, Snead, Spiller, and co. We really don't have an outside threat to roll coverages away from Cooks right now. He will still win some matchups because of his incredible skillset, but we need another weapon on the outside for him to maximize his potential.

 

[Usmfan84]

If I am formulating a gameplan against the Saints passing game, I take away Brandin Cooks and make you beat me with Watson, Snead, Spiller, and co. We really don't have an outside threat to roll coverages away from Cooks right now. He will still win some matchups because of his incredible skillset, but we need another weapon on the outside for him to maximize his potential.

The thing is, the last 2 games Cooks has had plenty 1v1 match ups. He's just not getting free. He's barely getting separation so when he catches it he gets tacked instantly.

When he's breaking free, Brees is struggling to hit him in stride. Hopefully it gets corrected. We still have half a season to go.

 

[DoMePaTrolleR]

The thing is, the last 2 games Cooks has had plenty 1v1 match ups. He's just not getting free. He's barely getting separation so when he catches it he gets tacked instantly.

When he's breaking free, Brees is struggling to hit him in stride. Hopefully it gets corrected. We still have half a season to go.

No WR gets double covered every snap. Cooks has coverage rolled to his side with LBers on high alert for any quick pass accross the middle if they are on his side. If I'm a DCoordinator I would game plan around him letting everyone else beat me just as the OP said. Just because he is being single covered there is a lot more that goes into it where teams are taking certain things away so he can't get the big play. If we had another stud TE or WR then this would be a completely different story and you would see Cooks being actually single covered with teams not being able to focus on him alone. If Cooks had someone to take pressure off of him then he would look like a totally different WR.

 

[SaintBoof]

Isn't the 2nd year the worst for WR's?

Seems cooks is thinking too much...which is something you normally say about a defense. For how fast he is, he is way to slow getting out of his breaks and has yet to really fool any defender. He seems to try to run such a perfect route that it is slowing him down. There is no reason a 4th string DB should be stuck to him like glue.

When he decides to not even try any moves, and just blow by the defender full speed, he gets like 3 steps on them. Only problem is he Drew seems to have trouble connecting with him when that happens. It's like he has 2 completely different game speeds.

 

[RetroMcBananaFace]

Cooks is the one guy teams are actively working to take away. I am sure he's not getting a safety rolled to him every single play, but he does seem to be getting the other team's attention an awful lot. He's still learning how to get off jams and get open. Leads the team in catches and a close 2nd in yards anyway, likely to have around 75-80 catches and 1000 yards this season. Still 22 years old. Third year is usually the breakout year for WR's too. I don't think we can complain too much.

 

[TheIronSheik]

Cooks life would be easier if he had Jimmy Graham drawing a double team and Kenny Stills taking a safety with him over the top, giving Cooks much easier matchup on defence to take advantage of.

 

[Pensacola]

Cooks has the potential to beat any CB or Safety on any given play and every DC knows it and defends against the high possibility. So far our opponents have been winning this battle more often than not. Cooks is very young but dedicated and learning. He definetly needs the Saints to bring in another talented WR with his like qualities to help break up the 'special coverages' he constantly is up against. I do believe also that a younger Drew Brees would have been better at hitting the fast moving Cooks on the run. That's gotta be frustrating for Cooks but he seems to brush that off because he is a 'team first' player.

 

[BlackandGoldXLIV]

His after the catch is what is disappointing me. I expected more wiggle. More juking and making defenders looking silly with the ball in his hands.

Cooks also goes down easily. I know he worked on his strength this offseason, but I don't see the breaking of arm tackles like I expected.

And while these are criticisms of him, I'm not concerned. Especially of a very young and second year WR. And as others have stated we need another receiving threat to help him out.

 

[Meachemdat]

I've seen this story before. It's all about building chemistry.
At the beginning of the season Drew was under throwing cooks, now he is over throwing him.

They will get on the same page.

I really would like to see coleman get some more snaps from time to time, he had a huge 1st down for us, so did cooks, and well, so did colston lol.

When this season started, and I knew what we had invested in our oline and I saw Brees struggling early, and saw the play calling lacking that killer instinct that I saw Sunday, I was ready for the next chapter in saints history.

I can officially say I've changed my mind.
Foot in mouth, with the way this defense has come together, I think the best course of action is to extend drew and continue to build through the draft. I do think we are a big tall playmaker and guard away from being an elite offense again.

 

[TenTwo]

I wonder how DC's plan for Julio Jones, Brandon Marshall...or smaller WRs like DeAndre Hopkins, Steve Smith or TY Hilton...I am sorry but I hate the rolled coverage gameplan excuses. Every legit #1 WR gets this type of attention yet they get open and make plays.

He's either good enough or he's not. Enough excuses.

 

[saintsmarchin]

Cooks wont be "great" this season unless Colston starts making plays. Plain and simple. Hopefully that play at the end of the Colts game broke the streak of bad luck going forward... cause really its been mental ever since every came down on him after the Seahawks playoff loss.

 

[JRead2]

I noticed he gets double-teamed a lot. Teams are definitely trying to make him a non-factor. We need another dangerous receiver to take pressure off him.

 

[natedog]

I compare him to John Brown of the Cardinals, who I believe is in his third year. The biggest difference is they have a stronger Oline, taller Qb and two WRs who are equally as good of route runners. Then throw in a TE and a pretty good running back.

If Cooks had all these things like we did a couple of years ago he would be a completely different player. I do agree that he goes down way to easy, on Sunday he had a pass thrown to the flats I believe and someone chased him down from behind. This isn't suppose to be happening to a burner like Cooks. Maybe his ankle injury still ails him ?

 

[TPM3]

I wonder how DC's plan for Julio Jones, Brandon Marshall...or smaller WRs like DeAndre Hopkins, Steve Smith or TY Hilton...I am sorry but I hate the rolled coverage gameplan excuses. Every legit #1 WR gets this type of attention yet they get open and make plays.

He's either good enough or he's not. Enough excuses.

The difference between those guys and cooks is their ability to go up a get those 50/50 balls. I know Steve Smith is a smaller WR but he is also a freak for his size.