Patriots Acquire WR Brandin Cooks From Saints For 2 Draft Picks

BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer

A person familiar with the deal says the New Orleans Saints have agreed to trade receiver Brandin Cooks to the New England Patriots.

The Patriots sent their 2017 first-round selection and a third-round pick to New Orleans for Cooks while the Saints will send back a fourth-round pick, said the person who spoke Friday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the teams have not announced the deal.

In Cooks, 23, the Patriots add another speedy and productive young receiver to a group that already includes Chris Hogan, Malcolm Mitchell and veterans Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola.

Cooks has appeared in all 16 regular-season games for New Orleans the past two years and is coming off back-to-back 1,100-yard receiving seasons, in which he also had 17 touchdowns.

Meanwhile, the Saints are stockpiling draft picks and will have five selections in the first three rounds in April.

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