Los Angeles Rams: Three teams that could trade for Brandin Cooks

The Los Angeles Rams do not have a lot of cap flexibility moving forward with one of the biggest reasons why being Brandin Cooks.

The Los Angeles Rams‘ front office tied its own hands with the salary cap by agreeing to massive contracts with Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Aaron Donald and Brandin Cooks. With the team needing to extend Jalen Ramsey after the 2020 season, it is time to clear up some salary-cap space.

Out of the four players listed the most expendable is Brandin Cooks. Cooks is still an elite wide receiver and could be the best receiver on a title-contending team. He did not play much in 2019 because he was banged up, but he is talented.

The Rams have weapons around Cooks that could replace the hole that he would leave behind and the team would save money in the long run. Even though the Rams have a potential out in Cooks’ contract after this season, it would still carry a $13 million dead cap hit.

It is important to keep in mind that if the Rams trade Cooks they actually will not save any salary cap space this season because of his dead cap. However, they would save in the long run.

The ideal trade partner for Cooks is someone who needs a wide receiver and has a short-term, high salary contract to send in return.

1. Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills have just that. The Bills shocked the world and won 10 games last season and are an elite wide receiver away from having an even more well-rounded offense. The team succeeded mostly on the ground, even via Josh Allen, so adding that number one target is imperative.

The Bills have a large one-year contract to send in return in Trent Murphy. Murphy has a $9.775 million cap hit this season and will be an unrestricted free agent after the year.

Murphy would knock out two birds with one stone. Not only would the Rams be freeing up salary-cap space in the long-term but they would get a short-term edge-rusher to replace Dante Fowler Jr.