3 Most Likely Trade Destinations for Brandin Cooks Ahead of Deadline

The Houston Texans are in the midst of a long rebuild that is still in process based on their 1-4-1 record. They line up to be sellers at the NFL trade deadline and veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks has been floated as a trade piece.

Cooks has been one of the most consistent and reliable wideouts in the NFL, topping 1,000 receiving yards in six of his last seven NFL seasons. He's still relatively young at 29 and his contract runs through 2024, making him an even more attractive trade chip. Here's a look at three of his most likely landing spots.

Brandin Cooks Trade Destinations

1. Baltimore Ravens

Both wide receiver Rashod Bateman and tight end Mark Andrews are dealing with injuries, exacerbating Baltimore's already-shallow pass-catching corps. Cooks is the perfect player for this front office to target based on his durability and long track record of success. Devin Duvernay has stepped up for the Ravens this season, but expecting him to carry the workload until Bateman and Andrews are back to full health is unrealistic. Adding cooks would provide some much-needed breathing room.

2. New York Jets

The Jets aren't expected to be in the market for a wide receiver at the trade deadline, but the pairing here almost makes too much sense. Second-year pro Elijah Moore has expressed that he wants out of New York and would prefer a change of scenery in his young NFL career. The 22-year-old would obviously fit in Houston's rebuilding plans. In return, New York could get a package made up of Cooks and a draft pick or two. Cooks would provide quarterback Zach Wilson with a dynamic short-yardage weapon to pair with exciting rookie Garrett Wilson. At 5-2, the Jets have a shot to end a decade-long playoff drought. Adding Cooks gives them a shot to go even further than that.

3. Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers have Keenan Allen and Mike Williams locked into long-term deals at the wide receiver position. However, Allen has only played in two of the team's seven games this season and Williams just suffered a high-ankle sprain on Sunday. LA has overcome its offensive struggles early on this year and still owns a 4-3 record. That makes the Chargers a playoff threat, but relying on backups down the stretch would not be a good idea. Cooks has tallied 13 touchdowns since the start of the 2020 season, proving he has what it takes to be a solid red zone option. That has to intrigue LA, whose WRs have combined for only 5 touchdowns so far.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.