Brandin Cooks signs with Bills: What can the veteran WR bring to Buffalo's offense?

The Buffalo Bills are bringing in a veteran pass-catcher to help in their playoff push, as they announced Tuesday they had signed former New Orleans Saints wideout Brandin Cooks.

Cooks asked for and was granted his release from the Saints this month. Despite signing a two-year, $13 million deal with New Orleans in free agency, the 32-year-old was never a focal point in Kellen Moore's offense, catching 19 passes for 165 yards and zero touchdowns in 10 games played.

Cooks is used to changes of scenery as he has played for five different franchises over his 12 NFL seasons: the Saints, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys. That number increases to six with Buffalo. The former No. 20 overall pick out of Oregon State has six 1,000-yard receiving campaigns. He even became the first player in NFL history to cross 1,000 yards receiving in three consecutive seasons with three different teams from 2016-18 with the Saints, Patriots and Rams.

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It remains to be seen what Cooks can provide as a playmaker in this stage of his career, but he did catch 54 passes for 657 yards and eight touchdowns two years ago with the Cowboys. While the Bills statistically have a top-10 passing offense with 234.6 passing yards per game, an addition to Josh Allen's arsenal was needed. 

Khalil Shakir is the Bills' leading receiver with 564 yards, but that ranks No. 32 in the NFL. Curtis Samuel missed the Week 12 upset loss to the Texans with elbow and neck injuries, Mecole Hardman missed that same game with a calf injury and then former No. 33 overall pick Keon Coleman has been made a healthy scratch in each of the last two weeks. 

Entering a Week 13 road matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bills are 7-4 and 2.5 games back of the New England Patriots in the AFC East standings.