Brandin Cooks is entering his first year with the Dallas Cowboys after spending time with four teams -- the New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams and Houston Texans -- since 2014. The wide receiver's impact is already being felt and some team members are appreciating his input as well as his experience.
Head coach Mike McCarthy said while Cooks' speed is a huge bonus, his football knowledge is expansive and that is what is benefiting Dallas as well.
"Not only the speed, but I think he's an exceptional route runner," McCarthy said, via ESPN. "He has a great understanding of routes and time clocks, and specifics of getting in and out of breaks."
Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is one player benefiting from Cooks' presence and football IQ.
"I'm a visual learner and I'm just watching him as he runs his routes, the way he preps, the way he practices, how he goes about his business. I love each and every part of it," Lamb said. "I mean, he's a professional to a 'T'. My coach told me bringing him in will be the best thing for me, and it is."
Michael Gallup chimed in, saying Cooks has tips for players to stay healthy and extend their careers.
"He tells everybody, 'When you are you're done with this, you're done with that, make sure you stretch. Make sure you do what you're supposed to do so you can stay in league as long as you possibly can,'" Gallup said. "That's one of the biggest things right now. Football, that's going to be there. We got in the league for a reason. But he's over here talking about how you stay in the league."
Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said Cooks has put in time with Jalen Tolbert, who is heading into his sophomore season, along with the other receivers on the roster.
"What Jalen [Tolbert] is going to tell you is he's spent a ton of time with Brandin," Schottenheimer said. "So here's a guy who has been there, done that, and what Brandin wants to do is to encourage and invest in the younger guys, so those guys spend a lot of time together. I see them before practice in the weight room working together."
From the outside, the main appeal of Cooks is his speed, but Schottenheimer wants it to be clear that there is more to him than just being fast on the field.
"What Brandin brings us is way more than just speed. Absolutely, it's really fun to watch him run, whether it's deep routes, short routes," Schottenheimer said. "It really doesn't matter. But what I love is the competitor and the way he's encouraging that entire room of receivers. It's been awesome."
Dallas had a need for someone who can bring the offense long plays, and in Cooks it may have found its answer.
Quarterback Dak Prescott said from his time seeing Cooks in unofficial workouts, team activities and minicamp, he is impressed. He also noted that half of the job is the speed and the other half is being able to run the routes.
"Real speed. Runs the same way every time. I think that's the most important thing," Prescott said of Cooks. "When you have speed like that, for him to be able to do it every play, every route, the start of every route, the cornerbacks, defense, they don't know what they're getting. It all looks the same."
