Brandin Cooks Trade Rumors: Patriots Offered 1st-Round Draft Pick for Saints WR

If the New Orleans Saints decide to trade wide receiver Brandin Cooks, the New England Patriots have made it known they would like to add him.

Per Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune, the Patriots offered their first-round pick, No. 32 overall, to the Saints as part of a package for Cooks but were turned down because New Orleans is "hoping to receive a draft pick in the middle of the first round."

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported on Thursday Cooks' name has come up in trade talks with the Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles.

Saints head coach Sean Payton told John DeShazier of the team's official website they weren't actively seeking a deal for Cooks:

"

I said this before, Brandin is someone we value tremendously in our system. He's been extremely productive. He's everything we were wanting when we drafted him. Now, that being said, these news items come up and there are a lot of meetings that take place here. I wouldn't say he's on the trade block but certainly when a team calls, a team that's looking for a receiver—and we're looking to improve our defense—we're always listening.

"

Cooks would be one of the most valuable wide receivers on the trade market if the Saints started actively shopping him. He has had more than 1,100 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons with 17 combined touchdowns.

At just 23 years old, Cooks still has two more years remaining on his rookie deal if the fifth-year option on his contract gets exercised. His cap hit for 2017 is a minuscule $2.6 million, per Spotrac.

There are several intriguing free-agent wide receivers, including Alshon Jeffery and Terrelle Pryor, but those players will not feature the same kind of cost control Cooks does.

The Patriots are always looking for productive players on cheap contracts. They may have to get more creative to convince the Saints to accept a deal, but it would be perfectly in keeping with the way head coach Bill Belichick has built his roster over the years.