Revisiting the Saints-Patriots Trade for Brandin Cooks

Brandin Cooks was the perfect deep threat for New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton's offense, but the two parties started to realize they didn't see eye to eye on everything, which prompted the Saints to deal him to the New England.

The Patriots acquired Cooks and a fourth-round pick they later traded away in exchange for a first-round pick, which became No. 32 overall in the 2017 draft. They also added a third-round pick.

The Saints selected Wisconsin right tackle Ryan Ramczyk in the first round and FAU pass rusher Trey Hendrickson in the third round. Ramczyk's success has to sting for the Patriots, as he has quickly become one of the best pass blockers in the game, even being named an All-Pro last season. Hendrickson picked up 4.5 sacks last season as a backup.

Cooks, meanwhile, topped 1.000 yards for the Patriots and helped them get to a Super Bowl, but his Patriots fell to the Philadelphia Eagles in the championship, He was later dealt for a first-round pick once again, this time to the Los Angeles Rams, just a year after he was acquired from New Orleans. LA is looking to flip him once again after a subpar 2019.

Who Won The Trade?

It appears that Bill Belichick and New England have gotten the short end of the stick in this deal. Hendrickson has proven to be a solid backup pass rusher, while Ramczyk has become one of the best offensive tackles in all of football. Cooks was solid in New England, but one year of production doesn't make up for giving away an elite lineman.