Getty Image / Kevin Abele
Heading into this NFL offseason there were a few big names at wide receiver whose teams were looking to make a deal.
The Texans had been looking to trade Brandin Cooks since before the 2022 season’s trade deadline. The Denver Broncos have reportedly looked into trades for Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton, although they are now no longer looking to trade either.
The Arizona Cardinals have been looking to trade star receiver DeAndre Hopkins as they prepare for a rough 2023 season where they already know that Kyler Murray is going to miss time with an injury.
Today we saw the first of those receivers get traded. The Texans traded Brandin Cooks to the Cowboys for a 5th-round pick this year and a 6th rounder next year.
Sources: The #Texans are trading WR Brandin Cooks to the #Cowboys for a 5th this year and 6th next year. A big-play threat for Dallas.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 19, 2023
The Texans also agreed to pay $6 million of the money that Cooks is owed for the 2023 season.
This trade is terrible news for the Cardinals. They are reportedly looking for a 2nd rounder and another asset in exchange for Hopkins. It’s really hard to see how they get anything close to that after this deal was made.
Cooks never reached the same superstar status as Hopkins, but at this point in there careers, the gap between them isn’t huge.
Cooks had established himself as a consistent 1000-yard receiver before the 2022 season and there is reason to believe that his most recent season was an anomaly.
He is also a year younger than Hopkins.
Hopkins’ superstar history likely gives him a bit more value than Cooks, but not enough to get the Cardinals that 2nd rounder they want. It might even be tough for them to get a 3rd at this point.
With the way the wide receiver market seems to be trending this offseason, the Arizona Cardinals may be better off just holding on to Hopkins, hoping he has a strong start to the 2023 season, and trying to deal him mid-season for a better return.