Brandin Cooks Appreciative Of Bill Belichick's Call To Inform Him Of Trade
BOSTON (CBS) -- Getting traded is normally not very fun for a player in any sport. But finding out about getting traded when it's reported by the media can make it sting a little more.
Fortunately for Brandin Cooks, he was spared from such a fate this week when the Patriots traded him to the Rams. Speaking with reporters after his introductory press conference on Thursday, Cooks said he was thankful that Bill Belichick called him to let him know that a deal had been made.
"Belichick gave me a call hours before it happened," Cooks said, per Joe Curley of the Ventura County Star. "I have a ton of respect for him, and we have a ton of respect for each other. You hear horror stories, guys finding out on Twitter or whatever. But at the end of the day, the way that they run things over there and the respect that we have for each other, he gave me a call and gave me a heads up. And at the end of the day, all you can do is respect that. You gotta understand that it's a business."
Cooks spent just one season in New England, catching 65 passes for 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns while playing in all 16 regular-season games. He caught 10 passes for 155 yards in three playoff games as well.
But with his cap hit set to increase by about five times -- from roughly $1.5 million in 2017 to roughly $8.5 million this year -- the Patriots were able to trade him to the Rams while getting a first-round pick in return.
