Saints sign first-round pick Cooks to four-year deal

Brandin Cooks signed his four-year deal with the Saints. (USATSI)

The Saints have signed first-round NFL Draft pick Brandin Cooks to his four-year rookie deal, the team announced Sunday.

Cooks was the No. 20 overall pick by New Orleans -- the Saints actually gave up a third-rounder to the Cardinals in order to move up from No. 27 to take Cooks -- and the former Oregon State standout receiver should make $8.383 million during the life of his contract with a signing bonus of more than $4.4 million.

When the draft pick was announced, here's what CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco had to say about the Biletnikoff Award winner and New Orleans' selection of him.

Cooks: Saints had to get faster on offense, and he does that for them. I like the move to get him. B+ http://t.co/KPxAyHqyNs

— Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) May 9, 2014

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Browns' Johnny Manziel says all the right things about being a backup rookie QB



Johnny Football is not Johnny Manziel.Johnny Football is an adrenaline shot to the heart. He's the hero that Cleveland deserves, not the one it needs right now (or so hopes Brian Hoyer). He's must-see TV. He's wild and unpredictable both on the field and reportedly off of it.Johnny Manziel is a rookie quarterback for the Cleveland Browns who was passed over by 21 teams -- a fact he's well aware -- and currently working as a backup while trying to prove that he's worthy of being called an NFL starter. Johnny Manziel has been humbled, and he's ready to work for everything he gets."I'm a rookie. I need to earn my place," Manziel said via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer on Saturday. "I need to earn my keep. Nothing here needs to be handed to me. I don't need to be treated based off what I've done in the past because that doesn't mean a thing at this level. I was completely OK with hearing that from everybody. I don't want to come in and have anything handed to me that I don't deserve."I realize where I'm at in this organization and what I need to be doing, and that's all I'm really focused on."



Kudos to Johnny for putting those look-good words in print. But he knows why the Browns drafted him. He's going to be the franchise's starter sooner than later. Hopefully he keeps working hard and if he does, such a promotion could come really soon.I've already said that I am very interested to own Manziel this year. His receiving corps is skeptical, but he is behind a stellar offensive line, and I'm a sucker for quarterbacks who can make game-breaking plays with their legs. The Browns will present a run-first offense this season, and Johnny has a good chance of being a big part of that.