In a surprising turn of events, the Dallas Cowboys have agreed to part ways with one of their seasoned players.
According to a trade proposition by Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report, the Cowboys are set to trade wide receiver Brandin Cooks to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a third-round draft pick in 2025. Davenport highlights the Cowboys’ urgency to create salary cap room for an upcoming contract extension for CeeDee Lamb as the primary driver behind offloading Cooks, who commands an $8 million base salary for the 2024 season.
Cooks is on the cusp of concluding the final year of his lucrative two-year, $39.6 million contract extension he signed with the Houston Texans.
“Trading Cooks after June 1 would free up $8 million for the Cowboys—funds crucial for extending Lamb,” notes Davenport. “Despite Cooks’ modest yardage and catches last season, his ability to find the end zone eight times and his impressive track record of six 1,000-yard seasons in the NFL make him an attractive yet economical option.”
Brandin Cooks Emerges as Top ‘Realistic’ Trade Prospect At 30 years old, Cooks emerges as a highly affordable option, with Davenport suggesting he may be the most “realistic” trade target among six mentioned in his article. Alongside Cooks, Davenport discusses other prominent receivers such as Deebo Samuel, Tee Higgins, DK Metcalf, Brandon Aiyuk, and Courtland Sutton.
“On some level, this potential trade seems the most pragmatic—especially considering Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks’ familiarity with trade scenarios,” writes Davenport.
Standing at 5-foot-10, Cooks continues to deliver as a productive receiver as he enters his 11th NFL season. Coming off an impressive eight-touchdown campaign in his inaugural season with the Cowboys, it marked the second-highest touchdown tally of his career. Cooks’ touchdown count ranked second among all Cowboys players, significantly outperforming former Dallas receiver Michael Gallup, who managed just 34 receptions and 418 receiving yards compared to Cooks’ 54 receptions for 657 yards.
The Steelers emerge as a likely destination for Cooks, given their search for another starting wideout following Diontae Johnson’s trade to the Carolina Panthers. According to KOA’s Benjamin Allbright, the Steelers have expressed interest in Aiyuk, Sutton, and Metcalf.
“They’ve reached out regarding Aiyuk and Sutton, but initial discussions have not progressed. As for DK, any potential trade would likely occur after June 1, if at all,” Allbright reported.
Why the Cowboys May Hesitate to Trade Brandin Cooks While trading Cooks could address salary cap concerns, it presents challenges for the Cowboys in terms of player depth. With an already thin wide receiver depth chart, especially following Gallup’s departure, the team is banking on Jalen Tolbert to step up as the No. 3 receiver. Additionally, the Cowboys drafted only one wide receiver, Ryan Flournoy from Southeast Missouri State, in the sixth round.
Although the Cowboys have exercised caution in free agency spending this offseason, prioritizing future contracts for Lamb, Dak Prescott, and Micah Parsons, it’s unlikely they’ll readily agree to trade Cooks. He’s viewed as a crucial complementary option to Lamb for the upcoming 2024 season.
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