Brandin Cooks ready for big second year with the Cowboys

Can Brandon Cooks surpass what he did in 2023 in his second season with the Cowboys?

The Dallas Cowboys shocked a lot of people when they traded for veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks last offseason. Coming to a new team and having to learn a new system comes with its challenges, even for a seasoned veteran like Cooks. The first part of the 2023 campaign for him wasn’t all sunshine and roses. Through the first eight games, Cooks registered under 50 yards in each, and he had four games with either one or two receptions. Also, he scored just two touchdowns.

However, things would turn around in the second half of the year.

It started in a 49-7 beat down of the New York Giants in Week 10. Cooks went nuclear by snagging nine of his 10 targets for 173 yards and a touchdown. Over the last eight games, Cooks didn’t blow anyone away yardage wise, but he had five more scores, which included five games in which he caught 75 percent or more of his targets. He finished with 54 receptions for 657 yards and eight touchdowns, which were the second-most of his career and his highest mark since 2016.

Cooks is ready to have an even bigger impact in 2024.

“I’m ready to rock,” Cooks said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m a leader but I’m a playmaker. I just look forward to getting this season going and hit that stride that I know I’m capable of in this offense.”

Cooks is going into his 11th season. So, he’s no spring chicken. Despite playing for so long, Cooks still possesses great speed that can be deadly in the open field. He’s also very savvy with his route running, and he brings tons of versatility with 3,917 career snaps as an outside receiver and 1,688 in the slot. Cooks can stretch the field vertically or horizontally, making him a matchup nightmare.

Unlike a season ago, Cooks doesn’t have to get used to a new system or how it’s run. The bodes well for his thoughts of having a huge campaign in 2024, especially when factoring in his comfort level with quarterback Dak Prescott. Cooks had his lowest totals in receptions and yards since 2019 last season, but as he continues to build on his chemistry with Prescott, he could challenge to have his first 1,000-yard year since 2021.

“Having a season under my belt with Dak, started slow that first half of the season but we picked it up,” said Cooks. “I think, overall as a team, we know what we have. Continue to focus on the task at hand and let everything else take care of itself.”

At the moment, All-Pro CeeDee Lamb isn’t in the building as he looks to ink a long-term deal with the Cowboys. So, that leaves Cooks as the only alpha male to help the younger guys like Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks, and rookie Ryan Flournoy get more acclimated so that the Cowboys’ offense doesn’t have a slow start like it did last season.

“I think it’s huge during this time of year,” Cooks said. “To be able to get these valuable reps, especially these guys that just came in or the guys that may have not gotten many reps with Dak last year. These are important to be able to create that timing before training camp.”

If Cooks can take his game up a notch and do it consistently throughout the season, he could be an X-factor that helps the Cowboys get over their recent postseason woes.