Thepeelsessions":2c0aqj0t said:
getnasty":2c0aqj0t said:
You have to wondering why this is his 3rd team in 4 years?
Exactly. He's not worth that money. At all. He is very one dimensional. He's a lot like Paul Richardson. Can take the top off occasionally, but without Paul's ability for the spectacular catch. Cooks is a very overrated receiver.
Very accurate assessment. He's a phenomenal deep threat against a soft zone where he can get a free release. However if your corners can get their hands on him immediately off the line and play bump-and-run, he folds. For example, last year we played the Patriots in Week 2. Marshon Lattimore shadowed Cooks for most of the game and was in direct coverage of Cooks for 43 snaps until he came out and entered concussion protocol from friendly fire. Of those 43 snaps, 29 were pass plays and 14 were runs. On those 29 pass coverage snaps, Cooks was targeted only 3 times with Lattimore relinquishing a lone catch for 15 yards (the play he was concussed by Vonn Bell) and tallied two PBU's. The remaining 26 snaps, Cooks was smothered and rendered ineffective. His final stat line was 2 receptions for 37 yards and 0 TD's. He only had a 22 yard catch because of the bum we had as a #4 CB last year.
He won't go up and get you those spectacular catches, nor will he lay out to get you those tough yards whether he's near the sticks or not. In fact, I'd bet these resident Rams fans will begin to notice before the end of the first quarter of the season how much out of his way Cooks will go to avoid contact, including going down and giving himself up early and even sliding down.
He runs average to above-average routes but the only way he'll get separation is due to his sheer speed and nothing to do with his route running prowess. As someone who watched Cooks his first 3 years in the league, I'd say the Rams overpaid by about $40M, especially considering he'll be seeing Sherman and Peterson twice per year on top of having to face all of the following this year alone: Casey Hayward/Jason Verrett, Xavier Rhodes, Chris Harris Jr., Darius Slay, and of course, Marshon Lattimore. All corners that play bump-and-run coverage very effectively and can eliminate Cooks from the game. That's 9 games off the top where Cooks may pull his Houdini act. That $81M deal will look very different if he's shut down even half of those games. But what do I know, I only watched him for 3 years.
Ramfan128":2c0aqj0t said:
Doubtful that there will be an implosion. Cooks is a good locker room guy - paying him is a good thing. And if you look at the Rams cap situation they have plenty of it for the next few years.
Because crying about his lack of targets in a blowout win screams "team first" and promotes locker room chemistry, right?
ESPN: Brandin Cooks hints at frustration after getting zero targets Sunday
PFT: Brandin Cooks is growing frustrated with Saints’ offense
Brandin Cooks reportedly growing upset with role in Saints offense
This was after a 49-21 blowout win against, ironically enough, your Rams in 2016. At that point in 2016, he was 3rd in receptions/game and targets/game behind Michael Thomas and Willie Snead IV. Wonder if he'll be all hunky dory as the 3rd option behind the establish rapports Goff has with Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp or if he'll revert to his old ways and throw a temper tantrum like a giant toddler again...
Ramfan128":2c0aqj0t said:
I mean, there were times during the season where the Rams had better advanced metrics than the 1999 team. And while many have talked about having to play a "first place" schedule, we randomly drew the Saints and Vikings last year on top of playing the Eagles and Cowboys (with Zeke).
Y'all didn't
randomly draw us and the Vikings, y'all drew us and the Vikings because all three of our teams finished 3rd in our divisions in 2016.