The New England Patriots’ offseason tinkering has landed the offense a significant new threat.
The Patriots agreed to a trade with the New Orleans Saints that will land them wide receiver Brandin Cooks, a person familiar with the deal told USA TODAY Sports’ Tom Pelissero. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade had not yet been announced.
ESPN was the first to report the deal.
The Saints will receive the Patriots’ first-round draft pick and a third-round selection, per ESPN’s report, while New England will also receive a fourth-round draft pick.
Cooks, 23, gives the Patriots a dynamic receiving threat. A first-round pick out of Oregon State in 2014, he has recorded at least 1,100 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons. He had 78 catches for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns in 2016.
This is the third trade the Patriots have made this offseason. On Wednesday they acquired tight end Dwayne Allen from the Indianapolis Colts, while earlier Friday they netted defensive end Kony Ealy from the Carolina Panthers.
PHOTOS: Notable NFL players changing teams