This Date In Transactions History: Rams Trade Brandin Cooks To Texans
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Rams trading Brandin Cooks to the Texans. The deal netted the Rams a second-round pick in exchange for the wide receiver and a future fourth-round choice. For Cooks, it was familiar territory — this was the third trade of his career. 
[RELATED: Patriots Trade Cooks To Rams]
Cooks, who was still only 26 at the time, was well-traveled at this point. Two years prior, the Patriots sent him to L.A. (along with a fourth-rounder) for a first-round choice and a sixth-rounder. And, in 2017, the Saints traded Cooks to the Patriots for a first- and third-round pick. It’s not unusual for players on the NFL fringe to cycle through teams, but Cooks had the rare distinction of being simultaneously desirable and very much tradable.
In 2018, his first year with the Rams, Cooks managed a career-high 1,204 receiving yards. Things were going well for all parties in L.A. — Cooks helped the Rams reach the Super Bowl and he had a contract to match his performance, a pricey five-year, $81MM extension with $50.5MM locked in. Then, in 2019, Cooks capped his year with just 635 yards. The most troubling part was that he suffered yet another concussion, which sidelined him for two games.
Cooks’ talent has never been in question, but his health history was another story. The Rams were now in a difficult spot, with millions and millions of dollars committed to Cooks through 2023. The deal left them with $21.8MM in dead money and less draft capital than they gave up just a couple years prior. The Texans got Cooks and the rest of his contract — an $8MM base salary in 2020, followed by $12MM, $13MM, and $14MM through 2023.
The Rams went on to turn that pick into Van Jefferson. The wide receiver out of Florida was used sparingly in the regular season, catching 19 balls for 220 yards and one touchdown. All in all, he was targeted just 31 times with 118 special teams appearances. On the plus side, he flashed in the playoffs with six grabs for 46 yards and one TD vs. the Packers. Aaron Rodgers & Co. came out on top, but Jefferson gave a glimpse of what could be in store.
Cooks went on to turn 81 receptions into 1,150 yards and six touchdowns for the Texans. In an otherwise tumultuous year, he was a bright spot. Now, they’ll count on him and Randall Cobb to keep the chains moving with Will Fuller out of the picture. If Cooks stays concussion-free, the trade will go down as a clear win for the Texans, even as their quarterback situation remains murky.
Cowboys’ Jerry Jones “Infatuated” With Kyle Pitts
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is “infatuated” with tight end Kyle Pitts, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen (via 24/7 Sports). Pitts probably won’t be available at No. 10, so Jones would have to move up the board to get his man. 
The Cowboys have several key needs to address in the draft including cornerback, offensive tackle, and safety. The tight end position isn’t among the most glaring holes, but Pitts’ off-the-charts athleticism and pass-catching ability has caught Jones’ attention in a serious way.
To snag him, Jones may have to move up as high as No. 4 overall, after the Jaguars, Jets, and 49ers take their quarterbacks. The Falcons could be willing to move that pick, but they’ll need to be blown away by an offer — especially since new GM Terry Fontenot wants a quarterback while new head coach Arthur Smith wants to stick with Matt Ryan. Also, the Falcons are pretty fond of Pitts themselves.
Right now, it seems unlikely that Pitts will get past the No. 6 overall pick. To get there, the Cowboys would probably have to sacrifice their 2022 first-round pick.
Pitts, a quarterback in high school, moved to tight end at UF and quickly put himself on the NFL radar. Last year, he snagged 43 catches for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns in just eight games, finishing out with an eye-popping 17.9 yards per grab.
Panthers Give Teddy Bridgewater Permission Seek Trade; Multiple Teams Interested
April 7: Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports that “multiple teams” are interested in trading for Bridgewater (video link). Those clubs are looking at Bridgewater as a top-flight backup and mentor for a younger passer already on (or soon to be on) the roster. Bridgewater, of course, will need to rework his contract to facilitate a deal, and Rapoport — who expects a trade to happen — says the 28-year-old passer could reduce his 2021 pay to a fully-guaranteed $10MM.
April 6: After trading for Sam Darnold, the Panthers have granted Teddy Bridgewater permission to talk with other teams and potentially facilitate a trade (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The Panthers remain open to keeping the veteran, but they’ll allow him the chance to find a better opportunity elsewhere.
[RELATED: Panthers Trade For Jets’ Sam Darnold]
Bridgewater has two years to go on the three-year, $63MM deal he inked with Carolina just last year. The 28-year-old (29 in November) completed 69% of his passes last year with just 15 touchdown passes. The Panthers have chosen Darnold’s upside over another year with the one-time Vikings star, but he still profiles as a solid stopgap starter or a quality backup for other teams.
It would make little sense for the Panthers to keep Bridgewater — especially at his current price tag. He’s set to earn base salaries of $17MM and $20MM while Darnold is tied to the club through 2022 on his $18.9MM fifth-year option.
The Broncos are one club that could make sense for Bridgewater, especially given GM George Paton’s history with the QB. It’s also possible that the Saints could explore a reunion, adding to the Jameis Winston–Taysom Hill competition.
Richard Sherman To Sign After Draft?
Richard Sherman expects his free agency to last at least a few more weeks. During a recent episode of his podcast, the veteran cornerback said that the upcoming draft – coupled with his age — has him in a holding pattern. 
“Well, apparently we got to wait ’til the draft happens before anything else shakes out, because everybody has their hopes and dreams in the draft, which is understandable,” Sherman said (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area). “You turn 33, and then it’s like, ‘We’ll wait until we get a young pup; and if we can’t get a young pup, we’ll take an old fool.’ So that’s where we’re sitting.”
Sherman recently said that he’d be open to a reunion with the Seahawks, though it’s not clear if the interest is mutual. On one hand, the Seahawks could use a corner who is familiar with the defense, seeing as how they lost Shaquill Griffin to the Jaguars in free agency. For now, they have Ahkello Witherspoon, Tre Flowers, and D.J. Reed among their CBs, but they may prefer to go younger and cheaper.
The Saints were also said to have interest in Sherman last month, though that’ll require some creative accounting given their cap situation. Also, a few days after that report, the Saints re-upped defensive back P.J. Williams on a one-year, $2.3MM deal.
NFL Draft Prospect Profile: North Dakota State QB Trey Lance
After just 17 starts at North Dakota State, quarterback Trey Lance is ready to turn pro. He also barely played in 2020 after NDSU nixed the season, but his tremendous 2019 season is still fresh in everyone’s minds. He may be green, and he’s yet to celebrate his 21st birthday, but Lance figures to be one of the first names called in the 2021 draft. 
[RELATED: NFL Draft Prospect Profile — Florida TE Kyle Pitt]
Lance arrived on campus in 2018 and attempted just one pass as a frosh. In 2019, he ascended to the starting job and put himself squarely on the NFL radar. As a sophomore, Lance threw for 2,786 yards, 28 touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Meanwhile, NDSU took full advantage of his running ability as he racked up 1,110 rushing yards off of 169 carries, good for a 6.5 average per attempt. In 2020, he led the Bison to a 39-28 comeback victory in their lone game against Central Arkansas. Despite the rust, he rattled off 143 rushing yards on 15 carries. He also threw the first interception of his collegiate career, but that can certainly be forgiven.
Aside from Trevor Lawrence, many feel that Lance is the most NFL-ready QB of this year’s bunch. Still shy of legal drinking age, Lance is known for putting in lots of film room time, and that showed throughout his ’19 season. Just a few months ago, Lance was seen as a second-tier QB, a consolation prize for middle-of-the-order teams missing out on Lawrence, BYU’s Zach Wilson and Ohio State’s Justin Fields. Now, he’s very much in the same conversation.
So, where will Lance land? Some saw him as a fit for the 49ers after their move up to No. 3, but there’s increasing chatter that they’ll go with Alabama’s Mac Jones instead. Unlike Lance, Jones was able to provide lots of footage for evaluators last year as he set a new national record by completing 77.4% of his throws. He lacks the mobility of Lance, but the Niners may see him as the safer choice of the two.
For the other QB-needy teams on the board, Lance offers tantalizing upside. If Lance can adjust to the pro game and work from the pocket a bit more, the sky is the limit. Falcons GM Terry Fontenot probably recognizes that, which is why he’s reportedly hesitant to pass up a Matt Ryan successor at No. 4. And, if the Falcons trade the pick, there’s a good chance that the team moving up will be eyeing Lance. Right now, it seems like the No. 3 pick is Lance’s ceiling. And, while floors are always hard to peg, it would be a surprise to see him get past No. 7. If the Lions don’t use that pick to take Jared Goff‘s successor, another team could slide in to get their preferred passer.
Bucs, Antonio Brown At Standstill
Antonio Brown wants to return to the Buccaneers. The Buccaneers would love to have him back. Unfortunately, the two sides remain at a standstill, according to Joey Knight of the Tampa Bay Times. 
Even after re-signing the majority of their stars, the Buccaneers have a shade over $5MM in cap room. Half of that space will go towards signing the incoming draft class, which probably means that the Bucs are offering Brown a one-year, ~$2MM deal.
“We’re just gonna take our time,” head coach Bruce Arians said recently. “There’s offers out there. We’ll see how it goes.”
After his suspension, Brown recorded 45 catches for 483 yards and four touchdowns across eight games. Extrapolated for a full 16-game season, he would have been on pace for 90 catches, 966 yards, and eight touchdowns. At least, that’s the type of math that Brown’s camp is likely presenting. The Bucs’ negotiators would probably note that all of Brown’s TDs and 20 of his 45 catches came in the final three weeks of the regular season.
With Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Rob Gronkowski ready to go, the Bucs could comfortably move ahead without Brown. Meanwhile, it’s not clear if there are any other suitors for AB, so there’s no real sense of urgency in Tampa.
Bills Sign Forrest Lamp
The Bills have signed guard Forrest Lamp to a one-year deal, per a club announcement. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it’s likely for something near the veteran’s minimum.
[RELATED: Bills Meet With Le’Raven Clark]
The Chargers selected Lamp in the second round of the 2017 draft to solidify their offensive line. Considered one of the safest offensive line prospects in the draft, the Western Kentucky product has yet to live up to that billing. Lamp’s first season was spiked by a torn ACL. After a knee procedure in 2018 and a broken ankle in 2019, Lamp suited up for just nine total games in his first three years under contract.
Injuries have kept him on the sidelines for much of his career, but he bounced back last year to play on 100% of his snaps last year. With the Bills, he has a chance to prove that the injury bug is behind him.
Low Interest In Jets’ No. 2 Pick?
Recently, the Dolphins parlayed their No. 3 overall selection into a solid haul of draft capital. Meanwhile, the Jets have received few phone calls and very little interest for their No. 2 overall pick, according to a source who spoke with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 
[RELATED: NFL Draft Profile: BYU’s Zach Wilson]
It’s possible that teams are assuming that the Jets are locked into staying at No. 2. There, they’d have the ability to take any player they want who isn’t named Trevor Lawrence. It’s widely believed that the Jets have zeroed in on BYU’s Zach Wilson, who impressed with his mobility and 73.5% completion rate last year.
Meanwhile, the 49ers are expected to also go quarterback at No. 3, which has prompted teams (presumably, QB-needy teams) to start ringing the Falcons at No. 4. The Jets’ pick should be coveted even more highly, so this one is a head-scratcher.
Another possible explanation: The Jets could be higher on Wilson than any other team, and rival clubs have other signal callers ranked higher. A team that wants to move up for Mac Jones, Justin Fields, or Trey Lance would be happy to pay less for a lower pick and watch Wilson go No. 2 overall.
Bengals Release Giovani Bernard
The Bengals have released Giovani Bernard, per a club announcement. The move will save the team $4.1MM against the 2021 salary cap. 
Bernard, 30 in November, still profiles as one of the league’s best pass-catching tailbacks. Last year, he managed 47 catches for 355 yards and three receiving touchdowns — his best line since 2017. Since 2013, Bernard has reeled in 342 grabs for 2,867 yards, good for an 8.4 yards per catch average.
Last year, Bernard saw more carries than expected while Joe Mixon was injured, but he wasn’t all that productive on the ground, gaining 416 yards on 124 carries. Bernard’s always been better known for his receiving abilities, but his 3.4 yards per tote average was well below his career average of 4.0 yards.
The Bengals recently re-upped Samaje Perine, a sign that Bernard would be pushed out of the picture. The veteran was aware of that too — he actually requested his release so that he could hook on elsewhere, according to a source who spoke with Mike Garafolo of NFL.com on Twitter).
Bernard was set to enter his final year under contract with $3.7MM in base salary and a $4.76MM cap hit. The Bengals will save $4.1MM of that sum with $667K in dead money.
Cowboys To Sign Bryan Anger
The Cowboys are signing Bryan Anger to a one-year deal (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). The veteran punter is now set for a training camp competition Hunter Niswander for the job.
The Cowboys have been on the hunt for a new punter ever since releasing Chris Jones in March. Previously, Jones was set to enter the final year of the four-year, $8.7MM extension he inked in 2017. At the time of signing, Jones had the team’s’ all-time highest percentage of punts downed inside the 20 with 39.9% (113 of 283). He had also been with the club for years while posting a solid 44.5-yard average. Unfortunately, that dipped to ~42 ypp over the last two years. Then, he missed the latter half of 2020 with an abdominal injury.
Anger, meanwhile, has spent the last two years with the Texans, where he cleared 46 yards per punt in each campaign. But, last month, Houston cleared his contract from the books to save $2MM against the cap. Anger has also spent time with the Buccaneers and Jaguars, but he’s perhaps best known for being a punter that was drafted in the third round.