The New York Jets could use an upgrade in their wide receiver corp. One wideout, Brandin Cooks, has been linked to the franchise as a viable trade option by a well-respected NFL analyst. A Cooks acquisition was proposed in exchange for vaunted linebacker C.J. Mosley.
Jets: Brandon Cooks for CJ Mosley trade pushed by NFL expert
Per Fan Nation’s Harrison Reno, former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum went on ESPN’s “Get Up” and suggested that a Mosley for Cooks swap would benefit both franchises in some of their most pressing areas.
“Look, the Jets need outside speed, outside of Garrett Wilson with Aaron Rodgers coming back. They have depth in their front seven. The Cowboys desperately need size and speed at middle linebacker. …This is really going to help both teams.”
The Jets have a WR2 slot with the name of a player of Cooks’ caliber written all over it. Outside of Wilson and tight end Tyler Conklin, the team’s third-leading receiver in 2023 was Breece Hall, who just so happens to be their featured running back.
That indicates a need for reinforcements opposite Jets quarterback Rodgers in 2024. The team has been linked to several first-rate receivers the likes of Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Mike Evans and Cincinnati Bengals talent Tee Higgins.
In 2023, Cooks fell one touchdown short of his career-high nine TD grabs from 2017, connecting with Cowboys QB Dak Prescott eight times in the end zone. No longer a 1,000-yard receiver on paper, Cooks still has the makings of a reliable second option that can help the Jets be more dynamic in red zone opportunities. Cooks would have been second on the Jets with 657 receiving yards in 2023.
Cooks seems content in Dallas, making trade prospects uncertain
While a swap for Mosley would make sense and not greatly diminish a superb Jets defensive unit, Cooks has been more than satisfied with his situation in Dallas, as he expressed just after the team restructured his contract last May, per NBC Sports:
“I couldn’t be more hungry,” Cooks said. “The last three years is what it is, but I tell you when you step into a locker room like this and an organization, and you got those three years under your belt like that, I mean, that fuel is just definitely fueling the fire to be able to come out here and just show up and help my team win. I can’t wait. I truly can’t.”
New York will need to fill their void at receiver in a timely fashion in order to appease and equip Rodgers with enough high-end talent to make a Super Bowl push next season. If Cooks enters the trade mix, the Jets’ front office would be wise to look into a move for the veteran.