The Dallas Cowboys are always taking a quiet approach in free agency, and that didn't change this offseason. Dallas has brought in Kenneth Murray Jr., Jack Sanborn, Kaiir Elam, Payton Turner, Dante Fowler Jr., Javonte Williams, and Miles Sanders.
In the meantime, the Cowboys have also seen some players leave town this offseason. That trend continued on Friday. According to Nick Underhill, the New Orleans Saints are signing WR Brandin Cooks, who joins former Dallas offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
Breaking: The #Saints are signing WR Brandin Cooks, per @nick_underhill, bringing him back to where his career started. pic.twitter.com/bPts1f00a1
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 21, 2025
Brandin Cooks Signing With the New Orleans Saints on Friday
Cooks is heading back to New Orleans, which is the place he started his career. He was drafted in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft and spent the first three seasons of his career with the Saints. In 42 games with the Saints, Cooks had 215 receptions for 2,861 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns.
The Oregon State product has made stops with the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans, and the Cowboys.
Over the last two seasons, Cooks has been in Dallas. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. In 2023, the 31-year-old had 54 catches for 657 receiving yards and eight touchdowns but that didn't happen in 2024.
Last season, Cooks missed games due to a knee infection, logging 26 catches for 259 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 10 games.
After two seasons with the Cowboys, both sides agreed it was time to head in a different direction. Dallas needs to find a WR2 opposite CeeDee Lamb, and Cooks wasn't able to provide that. That option will likely come through the NFL Draft, while Cooks is back to a familiar organization.
At the same time, Moore gets a chance to coach a former Cowboy. The two sides weren't together in Dallas at the same time, but that's something that was certainly brought throughout the process.