Put Jayden Daniels into an offense with just one standout wide receiver and he wins NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, so the Washington Commanders should be eager to find out what what would happen if they gave their franchise quarterback a six-time 1,000-yard receiver, Dallas Cowboys veteran Brandin Cooks.
The 31-year-old “isn’t the player he once was, he’s still a capable receiver who can stretch the field,” according to Bryan Manning of Commanders Wire. Manning also noted Cooks “can still be productive, and he’ll likely come pretty cheap. He may not be the answer as a No. 2 at this point, but he could be the perfect No. 3 receiver for Jayden Daniels.”
Signing Cooks would be a bargain move, equipping Daniels with a proven commodity who can provide leadership and production in clutch moments. Signing veterans who fit this profile was a big part of the rapid turnaround enjoyed by the Commanders last season.
Brandin Cooks Is a Bargain With the Right Intangibles
Cooks qualifies as another would-be tone-setter thanks to his experience of the biggest games. He’s played in two Super Bowls, one for the New England Patriots, the other for the Los Angeles Rams, both in a losing cause, but Cooks has produced when it’s mattered.
Things have stalled in recent seasons thanks to knee problems, but Cooks hasn’t lost much of his vertical threat. He proved as much with this 21-yard touchdown grab from the slot against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1.
The play showed Cooks also remains a mismatch against single coverage. A wideout with too much speed and nuance to his game to be pressed or mirrored effectively by most defensive backs around the NFL.
His sophistication was shown by Cooks fending off and staying ahead of veteran Adoree’ Jackson to score in the red zone against the New York Giants on Thanksgiving.
Cooks is still producing 11 seasons into his career, the way 30-somethings, tight end Zach Ertz and middle linebacker Bobby Wagner did for Washington in 2024. They set a standard for commitment and performance levels, a standard Cooks would bring to a wide receiver room helmed by game-day warrior Terry McLaurin.
The latter is already a leader, but he needs help, the kind of help that could cost the Commanders a pretty penny.
Commanders Would Love to Snatch Cowboys Asset for Cheap
There’s no shortage of funds for a Commanders team boasting $79,510,623 worth of space under the salary cap, per Spotrac.com. They have the room to pay big bucks for a marquee pass-catcher in free agency, but Manning doesn’t think it likely.
Instead, Manning believes “regardless of what we hear about Tee Higgins, general manager Adam Peters was never likely to pursue the Bengals star. Washington will extend Terry McLaurin and work on giving him some help.”
The help could come relatively cheap, based on Cooks’ modest market value of just $5.2 million for 2025. Signing Cooks on those terms will still leave Commanders general manager Adam Peters to sign another high-profile veteran or turn to this year’s draft class for another playmaker for Daniels.
There are options, including another Texas-based standout who knows how to find the end zone. Pairing Cooks with a young talent ready for a bigger workload is an ideal way for the Commanders to help McLaurin and further accelerate Daniels’ already rapid development.
