Brandin Cooks on down 2019: There were a lot of nuances going on last year

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Wide receiver Brandin Cooks is no stranger to fresh starts and he’s making another one this year.

Cooks was traded for the third time in his career when the Rams dealt him to the Texans for a second-round pick last month, but the prelude to this deal was a bit different than the others. Cooks was coming off of 1000-yard seasons when he was traded by the Saints and Patriots, but he only had 42 catches, 583 yards and two touchdowns last season.

The catches and touchdowns were the lowest of his career, which was partly due to missing time with a concussion and, as Cooks explained Thursday, partly due to an overall change of fortunes for the Rams.

“I think there were a lot of nuances that was going on last year, not just for me but from a team standpoint,” Cooks said on a conference call. “We had a lot going on and at the end of the day I dealt with some things on the field, but that does not go to show what type of player I am, the production I’ve been putting in year in and year out since I’ve been in the league. That was just one of those off years, but it comes with the game. That definitely is not the trend that you should be looking for from me as a player.”

By dealing for Cooks, it would seem the Texans agree with Cooks’ belief that 2019 was an exception rather than a sign of things to come.