The Washington Commanders' wide receiver woes are well-chronicled, albeit to no avail. They've yet to address arguably their biggest offseason roster hole and are running out of options, though a new name could emerge: Brandin Cooks.
Cooks, who turns 33 in September, isn't the most exciting player at this stage of his unique and productive decade-plus-long NFL career. He proved to still have plenty of juice down the stretch last season in a brief stint with the Buffalo Bills, however. While Father Time can come for him at any moment, beggars can't be choosers, and the Commanders are left scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Admittedly, Cooks recently stated that "Buffalo is the place [he'd] love to be," via Tim Graham of The Athletic. But the 2014 first-round pick also expressed a desire to sign with a team before training camp, presenting Washington with an opportunity to swoop in.
Brandin Cooks profiles as a logical target for the WR-needy Washington Commanders
Buffalo was depressingly reliant on Cooks when it mattered most for a club with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, except that his efforts made it work. Their receiver room was ravaged by injuries, with him being the last man standing. He came in as a late-year free-agent addition, joining them in November, and immediately gave superstar quarterback Josh Allen a viable target.
It cannot be overstated that Cooks assumed a valuable role for the Bills without ever truly grasping the playbook. Not to mention, they threw him into the fire while jostling for AFC East supremacy, playoff seeding and win-or-go-home games. Imagine the difference he can make for a talented young signal-caller like Jayden Daniels who lacks weapons with a summer full of reps.
61 WRs drew at least 10 targets from Week 17 through the 2025 Divisional Round, including Cooks. He quietly ranked very well in the following notable categories during that stretch:
- Tied for first in average depth of target, aka aDOT (23.5 yards)
- Fourth in yards per reception (19.9)
- 10th in yards per route run (2.56)
- 11th in receiving yards (179)
Note: Metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus' premium stats ($).
Keep in mind that Cooks sat out the Bills' meaningless Week 18 finale. The aging playmaker delivered when they desperately needed anyone to step up. His gas tank may be closer to "E" than "F," but he showed more in three games than Washington's underwhelming wideouts behind star Terry McLaurin.
2024 third-round pick Luke McCaffrey and 2025 fourth-rounder Jaylin Lane haven't panned out as the Commanders hoped. The buzz surrounding rookie Antonio Williams is more theoretical than practical (for now). Respectfully, no opposing defensive coordinator is going to lose sleep over the veteran trio of Dyami Brown, Van Jefferson and Treylon Burks.
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