Deshaun Watson will have two new veteran receivers in 2020.
The chemistry between Randall Cobb and Brandin Cooks will be vital now that Watson’s previous No. 1, DeAndre Hopkins, is with the Arizona Cardinals. The COVID-19 pandemic with its elimination of the traditional NFL offseason has made forging new connections difficult across the league.
According to Watson, who met with reporters on Aug. 1, the chemistry between Watson and Cooks “came natural.”
“Since we [traded] and got him, we definitely kind of built that chemistry,” Watson said. “We’ve been talking ever since. Working out with him has been good. He’s just a great person. His family is awesome, amazing. A guy that you just want to be around. He’s seen so much football, been around so many people.”
The Texans sent their No. 90 overall pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft to the Los Angeles Rams for Cooks’ services. The former 2014 New Orleans Saints first-round pick on the fourth team of his career, but he has always played with a playoff-winning quarterback, or left town with one behind.
From 2014-16, Cooks played with Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees. In 2017, Cooks spent that one season with the New England Patriots. From 2018-19, Cooks helped the Los Angeles Rams reach Super Bowl LIII in his first season.
Said Watson: “He’s played with Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Jared Goff, so he’s seen a lot of different quarterbacks in a lot of different ways. He’s giving me knowledge on what he’s learned from different people and he’s learning from me, which is awesome, which is amazing, especially a guy that has played a lot of football. We just kind of built that and it’s been good.”
The Texans seek to develop their deep passing game with Cooks as part of the receiving corps. Houston seems to have established the rudiments with Watson and Cooks already forging chemistry together.
