Cecil Shorts III: Reaction To Brandin Cooks Trade Is Hangover From DeAndre Hopkins Deal

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(SportsRadio 610) -- The Texans' trade for Brandin Cooks last week was panned nationally.
It came on the heels of sending DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona for running back David Johnson and a second-round pick. 
There was also head coach and general manager Bill O'Brien explaining to season ticket holders that Hopkins, an All-Pro wide receiver who has three years and roughly $40 million left on his current deal, wanted more money and the Texans just couldn't pay. 
Meanwhile, Johnson is the fourth-highest paid running back at $13 million in 2020.

But evaluating the Cooks trade in a vacuum, the Texans gave up their later second-round pick (not No. 40, which they received in the Hopkins deal) for a receiver with more than 1,000 receiving yards and five or more touchdown catches in four of the last five seasons.

Cooks had a down year in 2019. He suffered two concussions in a 25-day span, putting him at five known concussions in six NFL seasons.

Cooks said he didn't consider retiring, and now the Texans are relying on him to return to his 2018 form, when he was the top receiver on a team that went to the Super Bowl.
Former Texans wide receiver Cecil Shorts III joined Clint Stoerner on Tuesday to discuss the Cooks trade, among other things (Cecil's quarantining with his wife and their SEVEN children, ages 8 and under!).

Shorts, who played for O'Brien in 2015, said he wasn't surprised to see him make another deal.

"You've got some veterans that can play," Shorts said. "Of course, its' the injury bug a little bit, but Cooks I don't think is injury prone at all. So I'm definitely happy with the situation at hand. Can you replace Hopkins? No, I don't think you can do that. But I think Cooks is a very good player."

Shorts added that he didn't think the Texans gave up too much to get Cooks, who he views as an immediate playmaker for the team. 

Offensive coordinator Tim Kelly will have a lot of speed to work with in his first season calling plays.

Cooks, Will Fuller, Kenny Stills and Randall Cobb in slot have a lot of potential for mismatches. Duke Johnson and David Johnson are also dynamic receivers out of the backfield. 

Stoerner and Shorts spoke on how the Texans' screen game has to improve, which is where the addition of David Johnson can be especially valuable.

"It's a lot that comes out of the backfield for him," Shorts said. "A lot of that came from the screen game, him catching that defensive line rushing up the field trying to get the quarterback and just being able to simply dump it down to another playmaker that make plays down the field. It's going to be an extreme help. You also have Duke Johnson."

Shorts said the Texans receiving corps, on paper, is possibly the best it's ever been. 

"If everybody's healthy, you've got multiple 1,000-yard receivers," Shorts said. "You've got guys who are extremely fast, veterans that have been around the league who know how to play and have been in this offense before. ... This offense this year should take off, period."

Listen to the full interview here:

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