Brandin Cooks remains in contact with Bills and wants to come back

[Royale with Cheese]

5 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Yeah, and what players who are quality players keep getting traded? He's been passed around like a wet rag, and NO ONE has seen any reason to keep him. He's fool's gold, and we saw it last season. He was a better version of John Brown, but even that version is gone. 

 

Eric Dickerson

Randy Moss

Brandon Marshall

[Kirby Jackson]

16 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

Eric Dickerson

Randy Moss

Brandon Marshall

Khalil Mack

Devante Adams

[Mr. WEO]

This would be classic WR move:  sign an aging journeyman for a season or less then let him go.....resign him a few month later.

6 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

The other thing that is really underrated in bringing him back is that Josh trusts him. He threw him the ball 17 times in his last 3 games (Eagles game and 2 playoff games). All of those were important, and close games. Josh looked to him 5.3 times a game. If you extrapolate that over a 17 game schedule that’s 96.3 targets. Shakir led the Bills with 95 targets in 16 games (5.9 targets per game). No one else was even close to that. There is something to be said for where Josh looked in the big games and trust. 
 

 

He caught 9 of those 17 passes in 3 games.  

 

Shakir is the one guy Josh trusts--for good reason: in those same 3 games, he caught 25 of 28 targets.  

[Kirby Jackson]

3 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

This would be classic WR move:  sign an aging journeyman for a season or less then let him go.....resign him a few month later.

He caught 9 of those 17 passes in 3 games.  

 

Shakir is the one guy Josh trusts--for good reason: in those same 3 games, he caught 25 of 28 targets.  

He also averaged historically low depth of target. He caught 8 balls total thrown at least 7 air yards!! Warren Sharp talked about it in WGR the other day. Only 38.9% of his receptions went for a 1st down. Only Wan’Dale Robinson in 2024 at 38.7% was worse in the last 20 years. There were 38 qualifying WRs last year (not sure what number of targets was needed for the) and Shakir ranked 38th in average depth of target at like 3.7 yards. 
 

I like Shakir but you SHOULD have crazy efficiency when you’re catching screens. I wouldn’t expect a guy being targeted 15 yards down the field to have the same efficiency as a guy 3.5 yards from the LOS. That’s common sense.

 

I am not disputing Josh’s trust in Shakir. I’m simply saying comparing the efficiency of a guy with the lowest depth of target of anyone in football to a deep threat is wrong. He looked to both of them at a rate far beyond anyone else once Cooks was acclimated. If he were to be here for a whole year, I’d imagine Moore, Kincaid and Shakir would be the only players with more targets. 

[NickelCity]

Surprised he's not already signed tbh.

[Warriorspikes51]

Assuming Diggs won’t be coming back then I’m fine signing Cooks. He had some good games with limited time

 

DJ Moore

Shakir

Cooks

Skyler Bell

 

Coleman

Shavers

 

Palmer trade/cut

 

 

this would give Allen 3 WR’s he actually trusts throwing to. Hopefully 4 if Bell develops quickly

1 hour ago, Ray Stonada said:

“For a week straight, I was watching it over and over,” Cooks told The Athletic. “But I knew, as a father, that I had to put it away. If I’d have kept watching, it would have put me in some type of mood that my wife and my kids didn’t deserve.”
 

Me too.

love this quote. Now I’m all in to sign him

Edited July 9 by Warriorspikes51

[BillyJoeBills]

Poor Brandin gets easily bullied like the Broncos did to him in OT.  I just don't like him in crunch time.

[Mr. WEO]

7 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

He also averaged historically low depth of target. He caught 8 balls total thrown at least 7 air yards!! Warren Sharp talked about it in WGR the other day. Only 38.9% of his receptions went for a 1st down. Only Wan’Dale Robinson in 2024 at 38.7% was worse in the last 20 years. There were 38 qualifying WRs last year (not sure what number of targets was needed for the) and Shakir ranked 38th in average depth of target at like 3.7 yards. 
 

I like Shakir but you SHOULD have crazy efficiency when you’re catching screens. I wouldn’t expect a guy being targeted 15 yards down the field to have the same efficiency as a guy 3.5 yards from the LOS. That’s common sense.

 

I am not disputing Josh’s trust in Shakir. I’m simply saying comparing the efficiency of a guy with the lowest depth of target of anyone in football to a deep threat is wrong. He looked to both of them at a rate far beyond anyone else once Cooks was acclimated. If he were to be here for a whole year, I’d imagine Moore, Kincaid and Shakir would be the only players with more targets. 

 

Well...Josh is looking for him where he is.  Everyone else can't get open.  

 

Efficiency?  Half of Cooks Bills games he had zero catches.  His catch % was barely 50.   Deep threat?  He caught 3 passes over 20 yards on 22 targets in his career with the Bills.    How does that meager output generate "trust" from Josh?

 

Some myth making happening here...

[Simon]

4 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

How does that meager output generate "trust" from Josh?

 

He already showed you that Allen looked to Cooks more than anybody else on the team outside of Shakir.

You're just playing your little arguing game over nothing again.

[machine gun kelly]

7 hours ago, dave mcbride said:

PS: His drop rate over his career is 3.3 percent (see the advanced stats section): https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/CookBr00.htm. That is very low.

Cooks was put in an impossible situation.  A full training camp, and he schools Palmer, and Coleman.  We’re stuck with Palmer due to contract.  Coleman because he’s cheap.  I just care about the best top 3 out there and that’s Cooks.  His career is low in drops.

[Warriorspikes51]

2 minutes ago, machine gun kelly said:

Cooks was put in an impossible situation.  A full training camp, and he schools Palmer, and Coleman.  We’re stuck with Palmer due to contract.  Coleman because he’s cheap.  I just care about the best top 3 out there and that’s Cooks.  His career is low in drops.

people keep saying this, maybe I’m wrong but I thought we freed up at least a few mil by cutting him this summer?

[Mr. WEO]

17 minutes ago, Simon said:

 

He already showed you that Allen looked to Cooks more than anybody else on the team outside of Shakir.

You're just playing your little arguing game over nothing again.

 

He said he was efficient and a deep threat--both demonstrably false.  In 3 of his 7 games he tallied 4 looks and zero catches.  He had 8 1st downs in 7 games, zero TDs. Josh targeted both Kincaid and Knox as many or more than Cooks in those games (Kincaid only played in 6 of them). 

 

I'm not arguing over nothing. 

[Simon]

2 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

He said he was efficient and a deep threat

 

He did? I must have missed that.

I saw him say that Allen trusts him and then use targets/game to support that statement.

 

And you continue to follow up by cherry picking some random numbers that having nothing to do with his statement in order to support some preconceived notion because arguing about unrelated nothings is some sort of personal addiction for you. 🤷‍♂️

[Kirby Jackson]

2 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Well...Josh is looking for him where he is.  Everyone else can't get open.  

 

Efficiency?  Half of Cooks Bills games he had zero catches.  His catch % was barely 50.   Deep threat?  He caught 3 passes over 20 yards on 22 targets in his career with the Bills.    How does that meager output generate "trust" from Josh?

 

Some myth making happening here...

Don’t do this.

 

Of course Josh throws to the guy that’s open. Of course the guy running WR screens is open. 
 

I looked specifically at the last 3 games. Josh threw him the ball 17 (6,5,6) times in those last 3. That’s when he was acclimated and they were important games.
 

I’m not suggesting that he is going to be Justin Jefferson. It’s perfectly reasonable to think he could do something like 50/650/5 on 70 targets. On this team, with a 15 yard depth of target, and a cheap 1 year deal, that’s a good option.

1 hour ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

He said he was efficient and a deep threat--both demonstrably false.  In 3 of his 7 games he tallied 4 looks and zero catches.  He had 8 1st downs in 7 games, zero TDs. Josh targeted both Kincaid and Knox as many or more than Cooks in those games (Kincaid only played in 6 of them). 

 

I'm not arguing over nothing. 

Instead of doing that Weo thing where you make something up and start to argue, please provide the comments that are “demonstrably false.” Provide the exact quotes on efficiency specifically. You won’t find them because no one said that. You’re arguing over nothing (as per usual).

Edited July 9 by Kirby Jackson

[Admiral Sean]

Even though he should have hung onto that ball and a couple others, I like this guy.

Edited July 9 by Admiral Sean

[FLFan]

This is an easy decision.  Cooks was their best outside receiver once he joined the team last year, by far.  He was the only wr on the team capable of getting open deep.  He is a legit NFL outside receiver and deep threat.  Adding Moore will help, but replacing Palmer with Cooks from the jump dramatically improves this team.  Palmer is simply not in the same class as Cooks.  You sign him, bring him into camp, and let the chips fall.  If he out performs Palmer, eat the contract and keep the player who can help you win the Super Bowl.  I am not sure why he is not already signed.  It’s a very bad look for Beane if Cooks gets away.  

[NoSaint]

Ultimately it’s not that complex 

 

cooks was able to generate space downfield - something everyone else struggled mightily with 

 

cooks missed a few catches that he should have had and had the unfortunate Denver play 

 

cooks has never had a hands problem, so unless you think something happened that will continue to effect his hands- odds are he returns towards his good catch rate 

 

frankly the conversation should be whether he has his legs still in 2026 not his hands but we can’t know that. Debating if he can catch just feels like a roundabout way of saying ive never watched him 

Edited July 9 by NoSaint

[Steptide]

I think cooks would be good insurance if Palmer or Coleman are no shows again this season. I'd hope they'd have him for camp though. Would rather he builds chemistry with Josh throughout the season rather than sign him halfway through 

[Victory Formation]

If it's for the veteran minimum, it makes sense..

[Einstein's Dog]

1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Don’t do this.

 

Of course Josh throws to the guy that’s open. Of course the guy running WR screens is open. 
 

I looked specifically at the last 3 games. Josh threw him the ball 17 (6,5,6) times in those last 3. That’s when he was acclimated and they were important 

But you did say “Josh trusts him” in regards to Cooks, which you made up.  You claimed that from targets from a cherry picked 3 game sample- how Philly was part of the last three games, I’m not sure.

 

Anyway, the Bills lost 2 out of those 3 games!  That’s not good.  Cooks was acting as the WR1 in those games where the running game was being stopped.  So, yes he got targets.  The problem is he did diddly with them and the team lost.

 

So It’s a stretch IMO, to claim that Josh trusts Cooks.  The actions by the team seem to suggest the opposite, that Josh would prefer he develop chemistry with someone else (I’m hoping S Bell) - otherwise they could have Cooks here already, rather cheaply at that.