New Orleans Saints, NFL fans react to Brandin Cooks trade

The trade will send the Patriots’ first and third round picks to the Saints for Cooks and their fourth round pick.

“I’ve been praying. I’m just thankful”, Cooks told ESPN’s Josina Anderson.

Last season Cooks caught 78 passes for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns.

The 23-year old speedster was the Saints 20th pick of the first round in 2014.

Patriots third-year cornerback Malcolm Butler was rumored to be part of trade talks between the two franchises, but was not part of the deal made on Friday evening, according to multiple reports. The West Alabama product has started all 32 games for the Patriots since that Super Bowl, making six interceptions in two seasons, including four in 2016.

Butler would give the Saints a shutdown cornerback who is still very young. While the Patriots lost out on bringing back Martellus Bennett upon the tight end signing with the Packers, the net loss of one draft pick and moving out of the first round is offset by Cooks’s talent. New England also resigned defensive tackle Alan Branch along with safety Durron Harmon.

Cooks has played three seasons in the National Football League, and remember, he is just 23 years old. Tight ends Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett (now with the Packers) led the Patriots in receiving in six games previous year, while Edelman led in seven – including five out of the last seven games after Gronk was injured and placed on IR.

Mike McCartney tweeted the news on Friday morning, 10 days after the team placed the tag on Cousins, guaranteeing him a salary of about $24 million for the 2017 season.

Cooks would add a speedster to the Patriots’ receiving corps, and the type of player Tom Brady has excelled with in past years.

The New England Patriots’ offseason tinkering has landed the offense a significant new threat. Mingo signed with the Colts Thursday after spending last season with the Patriots.

Not all the news is good for the Super Bowl Champs.