Patriots acquire WR Brandin Cooks from Saints, don’t give up Malcolm Butler

Discussions with the Saints are centered around swapping Cooks for cornerback Malcolm Butler, who carved his name into the Patriots’ history books with a clutch interception that sealed the New England’s Super Bowl 49 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Now comes the news that the Patriots are talking a trade with New Orleans with Malcolm Butler and Brandin Cooks being dealt straight up.

New England has not held contract talks with Butler, who is seeking a new contract, according to his agent Derek Simpson. Butler would then become an unrestricted free agent after the 2017 season.

The Saints have been listening to offers for Cooks in hopes of improving the team’s defense.

Rumors started flying about Cooks’ possible trade last week, and Saints Head Coach Sean Payton didn’t deny them.

The Patriots also sent their third-round pick this year to New Orleans in the deal, the 103rd pick overall in the draft, which begins on April 27 this year.

The Patriots reportedly made an offer for Cooks earlier this month, but New Orleans declined. He played all 16 regular-season games through a variety of injuries and finished the year with 55 catches for 701 yards and seven scores.

Somehow, the Patriots found a way to make their already potent offense even more powerful.

Cooks, 23, gives the Patriots a dynamic receiving threat.

Cooks is coming off back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons. While he isn’t the dynamic deep threat Cooks is, his 6’3 frame makes him a more risky red zone target.

When Cooks participated in the NFL Combine prior to the 2014 NFL Draft he ran a 4.33 in the 40-yard dash.