Brandin Cooks’ impact on Cowboys’ WR corps goes well beyond his speed

FRISCO, Texas — Brandin Cooks is quick. Like, quick quick.

On the 2014 NFL scouting mix, he was timed at 4.33 seconds within the 40, the quickest receiver to run that day in Indianapolis. With the New Orleans Saints in 2016, he had a 98-yard landing catch in opposition to the Oakland Raidersoperating by two defenders. Drew Brees’ cross traveled 27 yards. Cooks did the remainder of the work. With the New England Patriots a 12 months later in opposition to the Raiders, he had a 64-yard landing catch on a go-ball from Tom Brady.

Prior to now 5 seasons, he had 16 catches of at the least 40 yards and one other six of at the least 36 yards.

“The velocity is actual,” mentioned Cowboys receivers coach Robert Prince, who coached Cooks in 2021 with the Houston Texans.

Now in his first season with the Cowboys, Cooks turns 30 in September, and he’s not about to battle his teammates to show how briskly he stays as he enters the tenth 12 months of his profession.

Some teammates suppose the quickest participant on the crew may very well be vast receiver KaVontae Turpin. Some suppose it may very well be particular groups ace C.J. Goodwin.

“Hey, I’m not going to talk for it,” Cooks mentioned. “Perhaps it’s Turp. You by no means know. Perhaps it is perhaps CJ. We not going to search out out as a result of I’m not doing any racing.”

Throughout the current minicamp, Cooks confirmed simply how briskly he’s, slicing by way of the Cowboys’ secondary for a landing catch from Dak Prescott down the seam. Earlier, Prescott and Cooks simply missed on a deep-ball connection.

If teammates doubted he nonetheless had the velocity, effectively …

“I imply, you actually by no means know till you understand, you understand?” Cooks mentioned. “You needed to give a bit style simply to be like, ‘All proper, it’s nonetheless there.’”

Prescott first noticed it when Cooks confirmed up at his yard subject after the commerce from the Texans for unofficial exercises. He noticed it by way of the organized crew actions and minicamp.

“Actual velocity. Runs the identical method each time. I believe that’s an important factor,” Prescott mentioned. “When you’ve gotten velocity like that, for him to have the ability to do it each play, each route, the beginning of each route, the cornerbacks, protection, they don’t know what they’re getting. All of it seems the identical.”

Coach Mike McCarthy harked again to his days with the Kansas City Chiefs (Willie Davis) and Saints (Donte Stallworth) to consider the final time he had a receiver with Cooks’ degree of velocity.

“Simply the flexibility to leap out of their footwear and get on prime of a nook,” McCarthy mentioned.

With CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup along with Cooks, the Cowboys consider they’ve a receiver trio that may assault all elements of the sphere from completely different elements of the formation. McCarthy mentioned even when defenses give Cooks a free launch off the road of scrimmage, he’ll nonetheless be a downfield choice for the quarterback.

“Not solely the velocity, however I believe he is an distinctive route runner,” McCarthy mentioned. “He has an excellent understanding of routes and time clocks, and specifics of getting out and in of breaks.”

Cooks’ influence goes past his velocity. Lamb and Gallup mentioned they’ve picked up small tips of the commerce Cooks has mastered whereas totaling six 1,000-yard seasons with 4 completely different franchises.

“I’m a visible learner and I’m simply watching him as he runs his routes, the best way he preps, the best way he practices, how he goes about his enterprise. I really like every a part of it,” Lamb mentioned. “I imply, he’s knowledgeable to a ‘T’. My coach advised me bringing him in would be the smartest thing for me and it’s.”

Stated Gallup, “He tells all people, ‘If you find yourself you are carried out with this, you are carried out with that, be sure you stretch. Be sure you do what you are supposed to take action you may keep in league so long as you presumably can.’ That is one of many greatest issues proper now. Soccer, that is going to be there. We bought within the league for a motive. However he is over right here speaking about the way you keep within the league.”

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer partly credited the sturdy offseason of second-year receiver Jalen Tolbert to Cooks’ arrival.

“What Jalen goes to let you know is he’s spent a ton of time with Brandin,” Schottenheimer mentioned. “So right here’s a man who has been there, carried out that, and what Brandin desires to do is to encourage and put money into the youthful guys, so these guys spend a number of time collectively. I see them earlier than observe within the weight room working collectively. What Brandin brings us is far more than simply velocity. Completely, it’s actually enjoyable to look at him run, whether or not it’s deep routes, brief routes. It actually doesn’t matter. However what I really like is the competitor and the best way he’s encouraging that total room of receivers. It’s been superior.”

Final season, the Cowboys had two receptions by receivers of at the least 50 yards — and Noah Brown and T.Y. Hiltonwho caught them, are now not on the roster. The Cowboys had 50 cross performs of 20 yards or extra in 2022, down from the 63 that they had in 2021. Prescott averaged 7.3 yards per try, the second-lowest price of his profession (6.8 yards in 2017).

The Cowboys consider Cooks can change that in 2023.

“It’s one factor to run quick,” Cooks mentioned, “however [another] to have the ability to play quick.”