Broncos should make bold trade for Brandin Cooks after KJ Hamler injury

The Denver Broncos won’t have KJ Hamler for the remainder of the 2021 NFL season. They should make a bold trade for Brandin Cooks before it’s too late.

The Denver Broncos need to make a move at wide receiver following KJ Hamler’s season-ending knee injury, there is no doubt about it. The team has already lost Jerry Jeudy to a substantial ankle injury that is expected to keep him out for 6-8 weeks. That timeline was as of two weeks ago, so we’re officially in the 4-6 week range for Jeudy, for what it’s worth.

The depth chart at wide receiver, once considered arguably the deepest on the team, has now been effectively depleted.

The Broncos are officially one injury away from being in disaster mode at wide receiver, which is why I think general manager George Paton needs to now shoot his shot.

Make a bold trade for Brandin Cooks of the Houston Texans.

Denver Broncos need to make a bold move for Brandin Cooks

Why do we bring up Brandin Cooks here, specifically?

Well, Josh Gordon is officially off the table and he is now a hated nemesis, signing on to the Kansas City Chiefs‘ practice squad.

As strong of a case as you could make for the Denver Broncos signing Josh Gordon, the reality is he is a dart throw.

A worthwhile one, I would say, but definitely a dart throw and a risk.

Gordon is off the table for Denver. There are plenty of other receivers out there to consider, but if the Houston Texans are still having their fire sale and truly everything must go, the Denver Broncos should be calling on Brandin Cooks.

As in, right away.

Yesterday.

Here are a handful of reasons I think they should make the move sooner rather than later.

Broncos should make a bold move for Brandon Cooks

1. Buy your own stock

The Denver Broncos are 3-0.

Let me add on to that, although the fact that they are 3-0 is already extremely significant.

The Denver Broncos are 3-0 and they still have eight home games remaining.

Let’s add on to that again.

The Denver Broncos are 3-0, they still have eight home games remaining, and they have a quarterback who is playing the most efficient football in the NFL right now.

The Denver Broncos have beaten three teams that are a combined 0-9, but they have dominated those three games and shockingly, they have still shown room for improvement.

Why would you trade a valuable asset in the NFL Draft for a player like Brandin Cooks?

First and foremost, you’ve got to buy what you’re selling.

Yes, it’s only been three games, but look at the Carolina Panthers. They just made a bold move to go after CJ Henderson, a player I’ve been clamoring for the Broncos to trade for. They spent a 3rd and tight end Dan Arnold to get last year’s 9th overall pick.

Insane value.

The Chiefs just signed Josh Gordon despite being 0-2.

There is no precedent for this Denver Broncos team being a playoff contender, but you can still buy into yourself as one after these first three games.

If the Broncos were 2-1, 1-2, or 0-3? The discussion would be vastly different.

At 3-0, you can justifiably spend the draft capital to acquire a major difference-maker like this.

Broncos should make a bold move for Brandon Cooks

2. Draft pick hit rate is unpredictable

Let’s just put this out there — draft picks are overvalued by fans, media, and many NFL teams.

It’s hard to have a high success rate with any number of draft picks, no matter what round you’re talking about.

This year’s quarterback class, for instance, is not exactly inspiring a ton of confidence early on. That could and probably will change, but it’s worth noting that every rookie QB has looked mostly bad at worst, unpredictable at best.

To trade for Brandin Cooks, you’re probably talking about parting with a day two pick.

The Broncos, with Cooks, would undoubtedly still be on track to make the postseason, so a pick in the 20s of round two or three for a player like this?

Why would you not make that trade?

The draft is unpredictable, Brandin Cooks’ production is not.

We all know that George Paton prefers quantity when it comes to the NFL Draft, but that doesn’t mean he’s not willing to swing on a possible difference-maker if given the chance.

Just last year, we saw the Minnesota Vikings make a bold play for Yannick Ngakoue before trading him to Baltimore when the team struggled early on.

Even if you trade a second for Cooks now, you would probably be able to trade him for a third after the season if you really want the draft pick back.

Broncos should make a bold trade for Brandin Cooks

3. KJ Hamler must be adequately replaced

The Denver Broncos’ offense needs the threat of a player like KJ Hamler with his long speed to take the top off of defenses at any point in time.

Without Hamler, they simply don’t have that.

It was telling that, when Hamler went down with the injury, it was Diontae Spencer taking the primary snaps in relief and not Kendall Hinton.

Although Hinton is a great story, he simply hasn’t replaced the production of Jerry Jeudy or KJ Hamler. Not that anyone expected him to come in and be Jerry Jeudy or KJ Hamler, for that matter, but Hinton has one catch in just nine offensive snaps played.

The fact that the Broncos aren’t using Hinton offensively or on special teams indicates this team is effectively rolling with two wide receivers — Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick.

KJ Hamler was going to play a massive role in Jerry Jeudy’s absence, and now he’s gone.

The Broncos need someone to provide insurance in case:

• Jerry Jeudy doesn’t come back 100 percent (or struggles to stay healthy after returning)
• Courtland Sutton’s knee acts up
• Tim Patrick suffers any sort of injury

You can only promote from within so much. I get that the Broncos want to honor the players that have been there, but the two injuries to Jeudy and Hamler have decimated the team’s speed at the receiver position, and it needs to be appropriately addressed.

Broncos should make a bold trade for Brandin Cooks

4. Brandin Cooks is QB proof

Brandin Cooks is QB-proof.

What in the world does that mean?

What it means is that no matter what QB Cooks plays with, he’s had success. And he’s played with all types, shapes, and sizes.

At the age of 28, Cooks has already eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving on four different teams.

That is insane.

He’s already averaging over 100 yards per game so far in the 2021 season and has been putting up numbers his entire career.

Why have so many teams traded this guy?

The Saints traded him, the Patriots traded him, the Rams traded him, and I almost guarantee the Texans will ultimately trade him.

Cooks has produced for guys as good as Drew Brees and Tom Brady, and other players as suspect as Jared Goff and most recently, Davis Mills.

Wherever Brandin Cooks goes, 1,000 yards seem to follow.

He doesn’t need to be a 1,000-yard receiver for the Denver Broncos but imagine a quarterback that completes nearly 80 percent of his passes throwing to a guy that averages 9.4 yards per target in his career.

Broncos should make a bold trade for Brandin Cooks

Final Thoughts

Although adding Josh Gordon would have been cool, the Denver Broncos could still add a much more proven player at the position, and someone who will more appropriately replace KJ Hamler now that he’s been lost for the season.

Hamler’s loss is a devastating one but the fact that it happened early on has given the Denver Broncos the advantage of foresight.

Believe in your roster as a playoff-caliber one.

Forsake a draft selection for the sake of the current (undefeated) team.

Be aggressive.

Be truly “in” on every deal.

Players are being traded for extremely low prices it seems, and if the Texans are just trying to collect picks, then Cooks might be able to be had for a bargain price.

Make the roster better, make the offense better, invest in Teddy Bridgewater, and invest in this team, which hasn’t tasted the winning feeling for five years.

It would be a shame to see the Broncos miss out on a move like this. Some team is probably going to do it in time, so why not Denver?

Even when Jerry Jeudy comes back, you planned on working with a four-receiver rotation anyway, right?

Having Cooks keeps the entire offensive playbook in place. Not having someone with that type of speed, however, will allow teams to continue stacking the box and disrespecting the vertical passing attack.

Broncos should call these receivers after KJ Hamler’s injury

The Denver Broncos may need to call on some reinforcements at the wide receiver position after KJ Hamler's latest injury.

Cooks gives you an upgrade over what Hamler previously brought to the table in terms of proven abilities, and might even give you that substantial boost you need to let teams like the Chiefs, Chargers, and Raiders know that you plan on being in contention all year long, not just in “wait and see” mode.