5. New Orleans Saints trade Brandin Cooks to the Philadelphia Eagles
Rumors circulated last season that Cooks was not happy with his role on the Saints. That led to speculation that the team might look to move him on the offseason. While this talk has died down recently, there’s surely still some truth to it.
Coming off their third consecutive season without a playoff appearance, the Saints are in desperate need of help on both sides of the ball. They yielded the second-most points in the NFL last season and finished in the bottom five in yards allowed. Defense will definitely be a focus here. Why not try to get some talent from a receiver-needy Eagles team in a swap for Cooks?
It wouldn’t seem too unreasonable for New Orleans to demand linebacker Mychal Kendricks and a couple picks for Cooks. In return, Philly would nab that capable No. 1 receiving option for Carson Wentz. It also wouldn’t preclude the team from adding another receiver in free agency. That’s how bad this position was for the Eagles in 2016.
On the other hand, New Orleans has a budding star in 2016 second-round pick Michael Thomas, who recorded 92 receptions for 1,137 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie. Add in Willie Snead and his nearly 900 receiving yards, and that’s still a solid tandem for Drew Brees.