NFL Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Brandin Cooks, Carlos Dunlap, More

Brandin Cooks likely had no idea what kind of situation he was coming into when the Houston Texans acquired him from the Los Angeles Rams in April.

The Texans were already in the midst of a chaotic offseason, with former head coach and general manager Bill O'Brien trading All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and signing left tackle Laremy Tunsil to a record contract extension. 

O'Brien faced scrutiny for his personnel decisions in the spring, with the Cooks move in particular raising eyebrows. The Texans traded a 2021 second-round pick for Cooks and, while the 27-year-old had multiple 1,000-yard seasons, it appeared a steep price to pay for a guy coming off the worst season of his career.

Indeed, Cooks has had an inconsistent start to his 2020. Now, with O'Brien out of the picture, the Texans might look to move him in a possible fire sale.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported rival executives believe at least one of either Cooks or fellow wideout Will Fuller will be traded, though it is certainly possible both will be gone.

Houston fell to 1-6 after losing to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday and are all but out of the AFC playoff picture. The Texans do not have a pick in the first or second round of next April's draft, but they could well look to add to the stockpile of late-round picks they have accrued.

Cooks has been mercurial this season, but he has been especially productive as of late. 

The Stockton, California, native had seven receptions for 60 yards on Sunday, bringing his season totals to 34 catches for 427 yards and a pair of scores. It was Cooks' third consecutive game with at least seven catches and 60 yards, though he failed to find the end zone for the first time in three weeks.

Cooks seems to have recaptured his title as a playmaker, which makes him an enticing target in the trade market. Despite a fairly lucrative contract, any team acquiring Cooks also has the option to cut him in the offseason, given the "out" in his contract does not come with any dead cap, per Spotrac. 

Perhaps a team like the Philadelphia Eagles will come calling as they look to take advantage of a lackluster NFC East. Or, maybe the New England Patriots will look to bring Cooks back to New England.

In any case, the Texans appear likely to explore trades for a number of their top players at the skill positions.

Carlos Dunlap Wants Out of Cincinnati    

Zach Bolinger/Associated Press

Unlike the Texans, the Cincinnati Bengals were not necessarily expected to contend in 2020.

Cincinnati was entrusting the future of the franchise to a rookie quarterback in No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow, and the defense has repeatedly struggled to stop opponents from establishing the run and controlling time of possession. By all accounts, this seems like just the first year of a building process.

However, Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap has no interest in being a part of that process.

The former Pro Bowler has been relegated to the bench, and Dunlap subsequently took to Twitter on Sunday to openly voice his desire to be traded ahead of the Nov. 3 deadline, although he has since deleted a tweet saying his house is up for sale. Indeed, it may only be a matter of time before the 31-year-old has a new home.

La Canfora reported rival executives feel the Bengals are not as "trade-averse" as they were last season and could look to fetch value from guys like Dunlap or Geno Atkins.

Dunlap seems all the likelier to be moved given his demotion, though he still has more to offer interested teams. The 11-year veteran is coming off a 2019 in which he had 9.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and 21 quarterback hits.

Moreover, Dunlap is under contract through next season, making him a potential value pickup if he can come in and produce results in the pass rush.

At 1-5-1, the Bengals are unlikely to make noise when it comes to a playoff run. They would appear to be ripe for the taking in the trade market, and Dunlap could be one of the first ones shipped out of town.

Patriots Hoping to Add Receiver Help   

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

The New England Patriots could be interested in a move for Cooks or any other receivers made readily available at the deadline.

La Canfora reported the Pats are "in the market for a pass catcher," notably one who can stretch opposing secondaries and make plays down the field.

Both Cooks and Fuller seem like good candidates in this regard. Past history would also suggest New England will pay a high price, given the Patriots traded a second-round pick for Mohamed Sanu last year.

Of course, that move might also make Bill Belichick and Co. warier of paying big for a wide receiver. Sanu dealt with injuries in New England, and the Patriots cut him prior to the start of the season.

However, La Canfora reported people outside of the Patriots organization believe the problems with New England's offense lie mostly in the lack of playmakers Cam Newton has on the outside.

Newton himself struggled in Sunday's loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but the Pats appear more likely to pursue receiving upgrades rather than make a permanent change under center.

All stats obtained via Pro Football Reference, unless otherwise noted.