Now that the New England Patriots have acquired wide receiver Brandin Cooks from the New Orleans Saints, let's take a look at how Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels can maximize the explosive-play ability of the 2014 first-round pick.
Here are three of McDaniels' top routes that cater to the electric speed of Cooks, who will provide even more opportunities for QB Tom Brady to expose opposing defenses. From shallow crossing routes to deep shots outside the numbers, Cooks will make the Patriots even tougher to defend. Here's how:
Shallow crossing route
The Patriots work the ball underneath in McDaniels' system by creating space on shallow crossing routes. The scheme below is a super high-percentage throw for Brady, and it allows the Patriots to generate matchups inside the numbers versus man-coverage teams.