Brandin Cooks rumors: New York Giants a potential trade suitor?

With the 2022 NFL trade deadline closing in, the New York Giants have been connected to yet another potentially available wide receiver.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz is reporting that the Giants are one of several teams that have contacted the Houston Texans about the potential availability of Cooks, a talented 29-year-old wide receiver who has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in six of his eight NFL seasons.

Schultz names the Giants, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers as team interested in at least finding out the Texans’ price tag for Cooks.

The Texans are 1-4-1 and building for the future. The Giants, of course, are a surprising 6-1, just traded the always-injured and unproductive Kadarius Toney to the Kansas City Chiefs, and without a single receiver who has amassed 200 receiving yards this season could use an upgrade.

The Giants have also been connected to Jerry Jeudy of the Denver Broncos and D.J. Moore of the Carolina Panthers, should those teams want to trade either of those talented wide receivers.

As of Saturday afternoon, Over The Cap shows the Giants with $3.131 million in space under the salary cap.

Cooks has a base salary this season of only $1.168 million. He is signed through 2024, and his base salaries the next two seasons are $18 million in 2023 and $13 million in 2024. So, while the Giants could fit Cooks in this season they would need to be prepared to take on a significant financial commitment for the next two seasons.

Despite his talent, Cooks has been traded three times — by the New Orleans Saints in 2017, the New England Patriots in 2018, and the Rams in 2020.