It's another reunion in New Orleans.
The Saints are signing veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks, reuniting with their former first-round pick. The deal is reportedly for 2 years, $13 million. The news was first reported by NewOrleans.football.
Cooks, now 31, was the No. 20 overall selection in the 2014 draft, playing three years with the Saints before he was traded to the Patriots ahead of the 2017 season. The Saints used the first-round pick obtained in that draft to select Ryan Ramczyk. Cooks played one season for the Patriots, then went on to play multiple seasons for the Rams, Texans most recently the Cowboys.
The trade of Cooks came after three highly productive seasons, but with some drama relative to his targets dropping alongside then rookie Michael Thomas in the 2016 season.
After a game without any targets, he aired some frustrations in the media, including the quote "closed mouths don't get fed."
The signing fills a clear need for the Saints and a young WR room under new head coach Kellen Moore, a group highlighted by third-year pros Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. The Saints also reworked the deal of veteran Cedrick Wilson and re-signed Dante Pettis.
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While never making a Pro Bowl, Cooks has consistently been one of the league's more productive receivers with six 1,000-yard seasons. He's coming off his productive seasons in 2024, appearing in 10 games for Dallas while rolling up 26 catches for 259 yards and 3 TDs.
The Saints have followed a similar reunion theme throughout this free agency cycle, already agreeing to contracts with former Saints in CB Isaac Yiadom and guard Will Clapp. The biggest free agency splash came in the form of a 3-year deal for safety Justin Reid. The Saints also swung a trade for former LSU standout Davon Godchaux, and inked 3-year extensions for both DE Chase Young and TE Juwan Johnson.