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New England Patriots: Brandin Cooks has impressed coaches early on

By Nick Ziegler

Oct 16, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks (10) catches a touchdown past Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Shaq Green-Thompson (54) during the fourth quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints won 41-38. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 16, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks (10) catches a touchdown past Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Shaq Green-Thompson (54) during the fourth quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints won 41-38. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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One of the biggest acquisitions this offseason for the New England Patriots was wide receiver, Brandin Cooks. So far, he is impressing.

Coming into the offseason, the New England Patriots had one of the best offenses in the NFL. However, that didn’t stop them from getting better.

As a big surprise, the Patriots traded their first-round pick in a package to the New Orleans Saints for wide receiver Brandin Cooks. Since being drafted by the Saints, Cooks has emerged as an explosive wide receiver in the NFL.

After a strong rookie season, Cooks has followed that up with two consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Along with Drew Brees, the Saints had one of the best offenses in the NFL with Cooks at wide receiver.

So far in New England, Cooks has been impressing his coaches with his professionalism and hard work.

"“I’ve seen somebody that works extremely hard, who is very professional, who has come in and earned the respect of his teammates because of the way he’s worked,” receivers coach Chad O’Shea said to Phil Perry of CSNNE.com. “That’s the thing, the first impression I have of him is those strong traits that he has, and it’s gonna be great that he’s brought that to our football team."

Adding Cooks to the wide receiver corps has certainly caused some extra competition. As we approach camp, competition among receivers will only help the Patriots get better.

"“I think any time you add competition to the position, it’s beneficial, and I think our players have seen that — specifically the receivers have seen that — as something that’s positive and it’s a challenge that’s very positive for them to strengthen our football team through bringing in competition. Brandin’s been very impressive in what he’s done as far as approach.”"

With the addition of Cooks, the Patriots now have two great wide receivers. Along with Julian Edelman, the Patriots might have one of the best duos in the NFL.

Next: Early 53-man roster projection

While they might not be the tallest receivers in the NFL, their ability to operate in the slot and on the outside makes them unique. For Brady, having a wide receiver corps led by Cooks and Edelman will set him up for a big season in 2017.

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