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As a Cooks owner in my main league I watched every snap last year. Can’t tell you how many time I ended up screaming at Brady on TV. His deep ball was absolutely garbage. Had to be at least 20+ badly thrown balls with half a dozen resulting in PI calls. It was ridiculously frustrating.
Correct me if i am wrong, but isn't the league average on hitting those 30+ yard downfield throws less than 50 percent? I mean the ball traveling 30 yards in the air. If so how much regression do you think Cooks will have?
And another set of balls he had to wait for and got tackled instead of high-steppin' in to the end zone.
Honestly could have been WR1 through 5 weeks had some of those plays gone the other way.
Good question. I’m not sure. But I’m also not a stat nut so I probably would be the first to know.
I pointed this out in the general dynasty value thread and people got mad at me. It is why I think he'll always be a complementary NFL WR2 rather than a true target hog WR1, no matter what he gets paid.
I don't dislike Cooks as a fantasy WR2. I wouldn't sweat it if I was you. The guy can put up WR2 numbers off of just 100-110 targets.
I didn’t watch much of the game, but was very happy to see he had 8 targets and led them in receiving yards. I know the Raider D isn’t very good, but usage was my big concern. I think he’s a decent WR2 in standard leagues and low end WR2/high end WR 3 in PPR
Apparently several PI’s as well. Sooner or later (sooner) Goff and him will connect on some big play TD’s.
Yeah, they so far seem pretty content to have Cooks run the Jump Ball Joe Flacco Offense and just try to draw flags. Seemed to be working 50% of the time. They clearly are going to use him to stretch the field and challenge safeties. So refreshing to see a coach using his players to their strengths.
saw the same, but not like Brady's in that I think this is just timing. that first half was essentially the first team's preseason. they must have read the same scouting reports posted all over this board in the preseason that Cooks is at his worst when contended off the line and in stride so they seemed to be content risking the interference calls. that and the raiders secondary clearly couldn't keep up with him. great sign for Cooks for the season imo, Goff looked for him early and often.
I really have never understood this. I don’t see that at all. Just look at yesterday’s game, he ran all kinds of routes and performed well. Made multiple catches over the middle (1 he got creamed and popped right up) ran the 9 well and also runs the jet sweep. Nothing about his game screams 1 trick wonder to me.
He ran multiple routes.
And the entire league will be doing that against the Raiders all year. That they struggled with coverage of Cooks is a bad sign...especially considering they'll see Tyreek the Freak & Keenan Allen 2X ea. Not to mention Sanders/Thomas 2X.
This is just from the game last night. Seems diverse to me.He ran multiple routes.
The only ones he got open on were over the middle.
He ran streaks downfield & either under-ran/over-ran or Goff missed him short or long, but mostly he was used the same way he's been used. Posts/streaks, or crossing patterns.
He doesn't run a diverse route tree - it's not a huge knock. The kid has good hands, and above average speed. He's just a bit limited in how teams seem to use him, whether he's capable of more or not he's had the same MO on 3 teams.
Maybe he'll show us more this year. Maybe he won't. But I have yet to see a stop-and-go, a button-hook, a double-move or any other complex route from him. Slants & streaks. ("I like snakes & sparklers"?) is about how teams want to use him - maybe it's his limitation or maybe 3 different teams simply choose to use him that way.
If he ran other routes, he wasn't targeted or didn't get open.
Like I said - it's not a knock on the player. Just an observation. He was actually utilized better by the Rams in 1 game than the Pats all last season so I saw it as an improvement...
24 TDs the last 3 years........I wouldn't trade him. He certainly has some limitations but he is now playing with an elite young QB and the best offensive mind in the NFL. They just targeted him 10 times in a game all over the field l'd hold or trade for him.
Rephrasing - as I said in the post - maybe he does run it, but only adeptly on those two types of routes since that's where 99% of his production seems to be.
I would probably hold as well, for the same reasons. I think he's in for some big games.
I only saw him targeted on one crossing pattern. I'm no expert, but I would characterize his 10 targets as follows:
I think Cooks is a much better receiver than Lockett, but 1 point per 25 return yards helps to offset a bit. Last season, that equated to roughly 3 ppg. Still, I don't think I could start Lockett over Cooks unless Cooks or Goff were hurt.
Another game from last year with multiple routes
