Todd ArcherESPN staff writer3 minute reading
How the Cowboys got Brandin Cooks
Jeremy Fowler talks about how the Brandin Cooks trade between Dallas and the Houston Texans came about after months of interest between the two sides.
FRISCO, Texas — Looking to get up to speed and complement Pro Bowler CeeDee Lamb, the Dallas Cowboys are acquiring Houston Texans wide receiver Brandin Cooks for a 2023 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth-round pick, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Adam Schefter.
The Cowboys and Texans discussed a deal before last year’s trade deadline, but were unable to reach an agreement.
Cooks’ $18 million salary in 2023 is guaranteed. Cooks restructured his contract Saturday so that Houston will pay $6 million of his salary this season and Dallas will pay the remaining $12 million, sources told ESPN. He is under contract until 2024.
“I am beyond blessed and can’t wait to go and be special for the star! I am very grateful to the Jones family for this opportunity for my family and I,” Cooks said in a text message to ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime.
Last year, the Cowboys traded Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns for a fifth-round pick, but only added veteran tight end James Washington in free agency and third-rounder Jalen Tolbert as a trade. Washington suffered a broken foot in training camp and played in just two games, without a catch, before being released. Tolbert caught just two passes as a rookie.
With Michael Gallup back from a torn ACL in his left knee, executive vice president Stephen Jones said it’s “probably fair” to criticize the Cowboys for not doing enough to replace Cooper.
In Cooks, the Cowboys get a speed threat to pair with Lamb and Gallup, who the organization believes will be much better in his second year after major surgery.
Cooks, 29, has been vocal about his unhappiness in Houston and has said he wants no part of the rebuild. He caught 57 passes for 699 yards and three scores in 13 games for the Texans last season.
In his career with the Texans, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints, he has 630 receptions for 8,616 yards and 49 touchdowns.
This is the fourth time he has been traded in his career.
The Cooks deal is the second major trade the Cowboys have made in the past week. Dallas also acquired cornerback Stephon Gilmore from the Indianapolis Colts for a fifth-round pick (No. 176 overall).
The Cowboys built their roster through the draft, avoiding big free agent signings. They now have one pick each round. They had three fifth-round picks after the compensatory picks were announced, but have since dealt two of them.