Cowboys: Brandin Cooks wants to reclaim 1,000-yard status
It's going to be a fun season in 2023 for the Dallas Cowboys offensively. A huge reason why is the addition of wide receiver Brandin Cooks who the Cowboys only had to give up a fifth-round pick this year and a sixth-round pick in 2024 to get. Cooks gives the Cowboys something they desperately needed, […]
It's going to be a fun season in 2023 for the Dallas Cowboys offensively. A huge reason why is the addition of wide receiver Brandin Cooks who the Cowboys only had to give up a fifth-round pick this year and a sixth-round pick in 2024 to get.
Cooks gives the Cowboys something they desperately needed, speed. On top of that, his savvy and acumen playing the receiver position will benefit the younger guys on the roster.
Throughout his career, no matter which of the four previous teams he's played for, Cooks has always done one thing, get 1,000 yards at some point. However, he failed to reach that mark last season for the first time since 2019, and he's got the mindset to get back to that status.
"It's time to get back," Cooks said Thursday on NFL Total Access. "A lot has to come with that. At the end of the day, like I said earlier, we've got some special guys throughout the offense, all the offensive weapons we have, I'm just going to do my best to the best of my ability, and when we look up at the end of the season, we'll see where we're at."
Cooks has plenty of talent around him to make that a reality.
CeeDee Lamb is the Cowboys' top target and a demon in the slot. Michael Gallup excels on the outside as a contested ball catcher. Cooks will allow Lamb to stay in the slot mostly, and a healthy Gallup will give him plenty of one-on-one chances on the outside which will increase his ability to reach 1,000 yards again.
With head coach Mike McCarthy implementing more of the West Coast offense in 2023 which is predicated on getting the ball out quickly on short/horizontal passes to stretch defenses and create big chunk plays, Cooks and his speed are an ideal fit.
Cooks had a productive time with the Houston Texans, but they only won 11 games in three seasons which doesn't even equal what the Cowboys did in 2022 alone. As someone who's experienced some playoff football, Cooks doesn't want to be in Dallas just to get a check.
"I think just going into Year 10, being able to have special receivers around me like CeeDee, M.G. (Michael Gallup) and J.T. (Jalen Tolbert), not only from a production role that I'm expecting but also from a role of being able to lead," he said. "So I think that's what I'm looking to bring. So obviously, I want to get back to winning, and however that looks, I'm willing to do it."
With all the weapons the Cowboys have on offense to complement their elite defense, 2023 should be a good year in Dallas.
Cowboys’ offseason addition is entering an ideal situation
He should flourish.
Feature image via Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
