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“Brandin Cooks

see a lot of young guys, guys with those fresh faces — including some of the coaches. And these young quarterbacks could certainly look to Cooks for knowledge. He played with Tom Brady and Jared Goff. Cooks has been to Super Bowls, played in big moments and knows what it takes to win — as well as the things that can make you lose. When you’re trying to reset and develop younger quarterbacks without having a veteran quarterback on the roster to help those guys along, having a few of those pillars around can help the process. Cooks can be one of those guys. “He’s a phenomenal leader, phenom enal player. I think that combination is very valuable. He can still run. He can still play,” head coach Kellen Moore said. “He kind of had an unfortunate season last year with the injuries and the setbacks just in relation to that. His targets and catches and stuff were down. If he plays a whole season, they probably look a heck of a lot different. So, we feel like he’s still got the player in him, and the leader he’s going to be will be hugely valuable for our entire team.” It's entirely possible Cooks has those types of numbers for the Saints. He had 26 catches for 259 yards last year, but the year before, he finished with 54 catches, 657 yards and eight touchdowns. If he can reproduce a season like that playing behind Olave and Shaheed — while adding some of those aforementioned leadership qualities — it would be a big win for this offense. It’s funny, though. The young guys talking about him now probably sound like Cooks did when he talked about the veterans on this roster, back when he was here the first time. “Oh yeah, I remember when I was young, and he was at Oregon State,” quarterback Spencer Rattler said. “We’ve been able to form a relationship. He’s one of our best vets: super-experienced in this league, and obviously adds a ton of talent on the offense.” So, here he is, back where it all started. The question is, can he help set off the next party, after having sailed off before the last one got going? Making that happen would really make this a full-circle moment instead of just looping back.

was the Saints’ first-round pick in 2014. But before he ever took the field, we

“There’s a lot of narrative, you know; there’s not a tall guy, there’s not a big guy, but we all have the ability to separate,” Cooks said. “So it doesn’t matter, the similarities that we’ve got. We can all play in any space.” Think about it — with Olave drawing all the attention and Shaheed a known threat to take the top off the defense, Cooks might have a ton of room to work in and could make people pay. Maybe he’s right. Maybe the Saints will always have someone running away from the defense and creating open throwing windows. OK, so back to the behind the scenes: Cooks might not have to be the guy on the field. If he’s just a guy who makes some plays and makes things a little bit easier for potential Saints quarterbacks Tyler Shough or Spencer Rattler, then that part of reacquiring Cooks will be a huge win. But the team will also be leaning on him to provide leadership for a young offense — which might be the biggest benefit of this signing. Cooks has been around a while and he’s learned a lot since 2016, back when he grew frustrated with the offense and got traded away. The wide receiver has a lot of maturity and professionalism to share, and this team needs that because, all of a sudden, it is very young on offense. Kamara is still a very strong leader, and so is Erik McCoy. But look around the rest of the room, and you’ll was wearing Brees — but in the kitchen, it was all about Cooks.” — Marcy Nathan, Creative Director, Rouses Markets filmed our first commercials with him and our CEO, Donny Rouse. As the campaign grew to feature local chefs — including legends like John Folse — it seemed like every chef wanted a Cooks jersey. That season, most of the city

TEAM UP FOR GOOD IS OUR YEAR-ROUND

INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT We partner with local organizations, charities, and sometimes even our vendors or the New Orleans Saints to raise funds. In many cases, we donate directly. Whether it is helping to feed families, fight disease or respond to disasters, Team Up for Good is how we give back together.

WE’RE PROUD TO SUPPORT TOUPS FAMILY MEAL ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Toups Family Meal is a nonprofit started by Chef Isaac and Amanda Toups in March 2020 to fight food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. They’re still going strong, preparing and delivering thousands of meals to families in need. This summer, 500 kids will each receive 10 meals a week — five breakfasts and five lunches — all delivered by volunteers. We’re proud to support Toups Family Meal by donating food, products and funding to help make it happen. “Every time I reach out to Rouses the answer is always, ‘Yes! How can we help?’” said Amanda Toups.

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