The Dallas Cowboys needed more speed on offense, particularly at the wide receiver position. 

Despite going into his 10th NFL campaign, Brandin Cooks more than fits that need in Big D. But there's been a surprising narrative going around about him.

This might be because every player the Cowboys acquire gets labeled as 'over the hill' or 'washed', but Cooks has been seen as past his prime by guys like Colin Cowherd of FS1, especially since he's played for several franchises. However, a certain major outlet sees it differently. 

Just because he's bounced around the league, doesn't mean Cooks isn't a good player. Cooks has six 1,000-yard seasons in his career, four of which have come with different teams. He'll be facing No. 2 cornerbacks in 2023, so the production and efficiency should go up. 

Dak Prescott is also a better quarterback than any signal-caller Cooks has caught passes from since 2020, so another 1,000-yard season may be on the horizon (Cooks doesn't turn 30 until September). Cooks also has a cap number of just $6 million in 2023, and a year remaining on his contract after that. 

The Cowboys have Cooks on a bargain. –Jeff Kerr, CBS Sports 

With CeeDee Lamb on the roster, he will get the opposing defense's top cornerback. So with the speed and route-running savvy of Cooks, and Michael Gallup drawing attention as well, he’ll get to take advantage of some favorable matchups.

The Cowboys are transitioning to using some of the West Coast style of offense with head coach Mike McCarthy taking over play-calling duties. Seeing as the focus of this kind of attack is to get the ball out quickly on short and horizontal routes to stretch out defenses for big plays, the speed and field vision of Cooks is an ideal fit in this system. 

Cooks is a little long the tooth, but don't think for one second he plans on being just another guy on the roster for the Cowboys.

"Being dynamic," Cooks said back in May. "Being able to make plays no matter which way. Deep, short, intermediate, it really don't matter. Just coming in and being dynamic." 

Cooks can be lined up in multiple spots at receiver, and his mastery of the will only help guys like Lamb,  Gallup, and Jalen Tolbert improve their performance which makes his impact invaluable for the upcoming season. 

Feature image via Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK