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Lindsey Thiry (ESPN Close
- Covered Rams for two years for Los Angeles Times
Previously covered the Falcons Has covered the NBA and college football and basketball The Los Angeles Rams have agreed to trade wide receiver (Brandin Cooks) to the Houston Texans , sources told ESPN on Thursday.
The Texans will send a (second-round draft pick (No.) (overall) to the Rams for Cooks and a (fourth-round pick, sources said.)
The Rams acquired Cooks, , and a fourth-round pick from the (New England Patriots) before the 2020 draft in exchange for a first-round pick. The Rams then signed Cooks to a five-year, $ million contract before the season.
The Rams will incur $ . 8 million in dead money by trading cookies. They already paid him a $ 4 million roster bonus that was due on the third day of the league year.
In two seasons with the Rams, Cooks caught 204 passes for 1, 823 yards and seven touchdowns.
In 2020, Cooks played a pivotal role in a rams offense that powered the team to Super Bowl LIII. Cooks caught (passes for 1, yards and five touchdowns.
However, last season Cooks’ production declined as he experienced a drop in targets and was sidelined for two games because of recurring concussions. Cooks caught (passes for) yards and two touchdowns.
Earlier this week, Rams coach Sean McVay acknowledged that several teams reached out with interest in trading for Cooks.
“When you’ve got a player of his caliber, there’s a lot of conversations, “McVay said. “Teams call. He’s put such good stuff on tape.”
The Texans will be the fourth team Cooks has played for in what will be his seventh NFL season.
Last month, Texans coach and general manager Bill O’Brien traded wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and a 16016 fourth-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for running back David Johnson , a (second-round pick and a fourth-round selection.
In his only public comments about the deal, O’Brien said last week that trading Hopkins “was in the best interest of our team” because the wide receiver wanted “a raise.”
Hopkins was under contract for three more seasons and had a cap hit of $ million before he was traded. Cooks’ current contract has a cap hit of $ 21 .8 million in 2022. He is under contract for four more years, although there is an out after the upcoming season.
Houston’s receiving corps for Quarterback (Deshaun Watson) will now feature Cooks and (Will Fuller) on the outside along with Kenny Stills , with newly signed veteran (Randall Cobb manning the slot.
The New Orleans Saints selected Cooks with the th overall pick out of Oregon State in the draft. He played three seasons for the saints before he was traded to the Patriots, where he played for one season before the Rams acquired him.
Cooks, who will turn (in September, has had a 1, 0-yard receiving season with the Saints, Patriots and Rams. The only player in NFL history to post 1, 0 receiving yards in a season with four different teams is Brandon Marshall, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Sarah Barshop contributed to this report.
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