The parallels to the 2021 Super Bowl season and the events of this season are hard to ignore. The 9-2 Los Angeles Rams are having a phenomenal season from their veteran starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, they are showing respectable defense, and they are having unbridled success.
But one of the missing sights of the 2021 Super Bowl run was a midseason replenishment of the roster by trading for outside linebacker Von Miller, and signing wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. While the team opted not to be involved in the pass rush, an accomplished former Rams wide receiver who helped lead the team to Super Bowl LIII was waived.
Veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks was waived by the New Orleans Saints, having cleared waivers to become a free agent. Cooks’ unexpected availability sparked considerable interest, including from some Rams fans who recalled his heroics in leading the team to the Super Bowl in 2018 to face the New England Patriots.
But Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane was waiting for the right opportunity to strike, and snatching a perfect fit from Los Angeles was the chance he was looking for.
Brandon Beane is often linked to the Rams
When it comes to Los Angeles, there’s no love lost between general manager Les Snead and his contemporary Brandon Beane. Beane is one of the few NFL GMs who consistently appears in the Rams headlines, and not always under favorable circumstances.
Beane is the general manager who asked the team to pay current players with future dollars, but he met the same fate. It was the Bills who overpaid Von Miller after a Super Bowl season with the Horns, only to rework his contract when he did not live up to high expectations.
And it’s Beane who has made a point of shopping around for ex-Rams pass rushers, eventually signing not only Miller, but also Leonard Floyd and then Michael Hocht. Hocht’s departure was somewhat bittersweet, as he was willing to do anything with her. But he faced a six-game suspension to begin 2025, a punishment that fell on the Bills to address.
And now, the Bills have signed veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
Cooks is the speedy deep-ball threat that gave head coach Sean McVay’s offense the missing ingredient to unlock its optimal offense in 2018. Since then, the team has attempted unsuccessfully to replicate Cooks’ role.
But the flamboyant veteran has also faced diminishing returns. Now in his 11th NFL season, injuries and concussions have plagued him. At the same time, his last 1000+ yard season was in 2021.
If L.A.’s offense needed a full-time player, Cook would never have been that guy. But with Puka Nakua and Davante Adams both having stellar seasons already, the team only needs a third rotational receiver to threaten the secondary from deep. Maybe Tutu Atwell could finally take on that iconic role? This is definitely something the Cooks have mastered.
While a little disappointing, history is on Les Snead’s side. If the Rams fail to add a player to the roster, the Plan B option is often a better option. As always, thanks for reading.
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