Sean McVay has had a crush on Brandin Cooks for a while now.
Speaking to ESPN Los Angeles on Tuesday, the Rams coach gushed about his new receiver, who replaces Sammy Watkins as the field-stretching element of his offense.
"Really, just watching from him coming out [of college], [he's] just a strong, physical -- he might be smaller in stature, but he's a physical player. He's wired to separate. You see him compete after the catch, you see him compete down the field," McVay said, via the team's official website.
"And I think being able to play in two systems that I have a lot of respect for with New Orleans and New England, you can really evaluate a variety of routes. And they were moving him around, playing in the slot, playing outside. And that's the thing that you're excited about is this guy's got the ability to create in a variety of ways. And there's really no limitations in how you can utilize him."
The Patriots didn't view Cooks as a No. 1 receiver, and according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, despite Cook's numbers, he wasn't a great fit in the Patriots' offense.
McVay would disagree with that sentiment, believing the speedster will slide seamlessly into his O.
"And all you really hear about Brandin is just what a phenomenal guy he is," McVay said. "He's got enough tape that you can evaluate and say, certainly, I don't really care what system it is -- this guy fits in any system because he can play ball."
When McVay took over last season, he knew a speed element was required for his offense to work. The Rams traded a second-round pick for Watkins last year to play that role. After losing him in free agency, L.A. paid a first-rounder for Cooks. Averaging 16.6 yards per catch last season, Cooks has the talent to be the deep threat McVay's offense needs to take the top off defenses, in turn opening the underneath routes. Now the Rams will work toward locking down that speed element for more than one season.
