Saints finally add a receiver, bringing back a player who was drafted by New Orleans

There’s been a theme for the New Orleans Saints’ approach to this offseason, and that theme is reunion. Nearly all of the moves the Saints have made since the start of free agency have either been bringing Louisiana natives home, or bringing back players that previously played with the Saints.

That theme continued on Friday, with New Orleans signing wide receiver Brandin Cooks. Cooks has made plays for so many teams throughout his 11-year career that many may have forgotten he was drafted by the Saints in the first round of the 2014 Draft. Now, after bouncing around to four other teams, the veteran receiver is coming back to where it all started, signing a two-year deal worth $13 million.

Saints sign veteran receiver Brandin Cooks

Beyond the full-circle moment, this addition addresses an important need for New Orleans, as the team really needed a WR3, and to increase the receiver room’s overall depth. The Saints do have Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, two talented receivers entering their fourth season in the league, but they, alone, aren’t enough. That was exaggerated when both went down with significant injuries last season.

Now, New Orleans has a veteran in Cooks who’s entering year 12, and is still productive. He was limited to just 10 games in 2024 with a knee injury, but he managed to record 26 receptions for 259 yards and three touchdowns in those games. In 2023, when he played 16 games, Cooks had 54 receptions for 657 yards and eight touchdowns. That’s a level of production New Orleans would love to get from him.

While he’s a solid pickup for New Orleans, the team does still have a question about receiver variety. At 5’10, 189 pounds, Cooks is a receiver that wins with speed. With Olave and Shaheed as the top two wideouts, the Saints are still missing a bigger, possession receiver, but they’ll probably be able to find one in the draft.