Seeking to add speed and a complement to Pro Bowl selection CeeDee Lamb, the Dallas Cowboys traded for Houston Texans wide receiver Brandin Cooks for a fifth-round pick in the 2023 draft and a 2024 sixth round, sources told ESPN.
Dallas and Houston had discussions about a deal before last year’s trade deadline, but couldn’t get it done.
Cooks’ $18 million salary in 2023 is guaranteed, though part of his salary could be absorbed by the Texans, a source told Fowler. He has a contract until 2024.
“Beyond blessed and can’t wait to be special to the Star! So grateful to the Jones family for this opportunity for me and my family,” Cooks said in a text message to ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime.
Last year, the Cowboys traded Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns for a fifth-round pick, but only added veteran James Washington in free agency and Jalen Tolbert in the third round as replacements. Washington suffered a broken foot in training camp and played only two games in which he didn’t have a catch before being cut. Tolbert only caught two passes as a rookie.
With Michael Gallup coming back from a torn ACL in his left knee, executive vice president Stephen Jones said it was “probably fair” to criticize the Cowboys for not doing enough to replace Cooper.
In Cooks, the Cowboys get a speedy threat to play alongside Lamp and Gallup, who the organization is confident will be around a lot in his second year after critical surgery.
Cooks, who turns 30 in September, caught 57 passes for 699 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games for the Texans last season.
This is the fourth time in his career that he has been traded.
This is the second major trade the Cowboys have made in the past week. Dallas also acquired cornerback Stephon Gilmore from the Indianapolis Colts for a fifth-round pick (176th overall).
The Cowboys have built their roster through the draft, avoiding major signings in free agency. Now they have a selection in each round. They had three picks in the fifth round after the compensatory picks were announced, but they already traded two of them.
the highest paid
Houston Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil became the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL after agreeing to a three-year, $75 million contract extension.
The deal includes a $30 million signing bonus with $50 million fully guaranteed and $60 million in full guarantees, the sources said.
In December, Tunsil told ESPN that he wanted to “reset the market” and become the highest-paid offensive tackle. Now the seventh-year veteran achieves that goal by passing 49ers left tackle Trent Williams, who has made $23.01 million per season since 2021 with his $138.06 million extension that included $55.1 million fully guaranteed.
