In case you were wondering, yes, Brandin Cooks is a perfect fit for the New England Patriots offense. I’m not sure how anyone could possibly think that the Patriots wouldn’t figure out a way to make Cooks fit. Many have some preconceived notion that Julian Edelman is a prototype and how anyone outside of that prototype might struggle in New England.
There’s no question, Tom Brady has had plenty of receivers he just didn’t jive with, but there’s little reason to think Cooks would end up like Chad Jackson, Joey Galloway or any of the others who came with promise and flamed out. PFF put out this chart on Wednesday, but it’s really just a jumping off point.
Patriots receivers run a lot of these routes, and nobody was better at them in 2016 than the guy they just acquired, Brandin Cooks. pic.twitter.com/sNIjrym8DA
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) March 22, 2017
Yeah, Cooks is sudden and explosive. His double moves are deadly, but there’s so much more to how well Cooks fits what the Patriots do. That’s what I’m surprised a lot of people are missing. Just flip through these countless Cooks’ highlights below. You’ll see him line up everywhere… bubble screens, end arounds, pretty much every route in the book. I’m not sure what got him so upset in New Orleans, but it’s clear he can do anything on a football field.
Now consider the Patriots’ strength, which is playing to players’ strengths. Guys who are this talented aren’t going to flame out because their skillset is so diverse and so exciting that the playbook will literally be tailored to him. You can picture Josh McDaniels sitting in his offense, dreaming up plays, just like he did when the Pats acquired Moss and Welker and McDaniels went into his lab to put together the 2007 offense.
Just because Cooks isn’t the same receiver as Edelman means nothing. We never saw anything like Brady with Moss before Moss. Obviously. Moss is unique, just like Cooks is unique, and that’s what so exciting.
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[…] impact on the offense could be just as significant given his explosive playmaking ability and fit in New England’s system. The passing game didn’t need a lot of help in 2016, but if Cooks stays on the field […]