The Patriots have a legitimate concern about the status of tight end Rob Gronkowski, but they can at least comfort themselves with the idea that another pass-catcher is peaking at the right time.
Wide receiver Brandin Cooks is coming off one of his best games of the season, and could be called into an even bigger role if Gronkowski isn’t cleared after last week’s concussion. But after coming over in a trade with the Saints last offseason, Cooks said his level of comfort in the offense with quarterback Tom Brady is only getting greater.
“I think it’s growing day-by-day, every single practice, every single game,” Cooks said, via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. “The great thing about it is, we have another chance to grow that trust in a couple of weeks.”
Cooks had six catches for 100 yards against the Jaguars last week, and was also in the immediate vicinity of a pair of long pass interference penalties, which bought them another 68 yards.
It’s reasonable to suggest that the Eagles’ corners aren’t as good as Jacksonville’s Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye, and that Cooks is positioned for another big game. But he’s taking nothing for granted.
“You’ve got to be able to treat it like you’re never going to get this opportunity again,” he said. “We’re fortunate as a team, so we’ve got to look at it from that standpoint. We never know if we can get back here, so give it all you’ve got.”
Of course, he’s new there and hasn’t enjoyed their past success, but he’s quickly adopted their approach.