Cooks knows Pats move is win-win situation

Brandin Cooks doesn’t mind trading in Drew Brees for Tom Brady. In his mind, he’s going from catching passes from one legend to another.

“To come in, and now have the opportunity to play with another Hall of Fame quarterback, I guess I know how to pick quarterbacks, right?” Cooks said yesterday. “I’m looking forward to it. I’ve followed Tom Brady since I was a kid. To have a chance to play with him, it’s awesome.”

The 23-year-old wide receiver arrived from New Orleans last week in a trade. The Patriots sent a firstround (32nd overall) and a third-round pick to New Orleans for Cooks plus a fourth-round selection.

While there was speculation Cooks was unhappy in New Orleans and displeased with not getting the ball, he made it clear he did not ask to be traded. He claimed those issues were a “little exaggerated” and “taken out of context.”

“To be sent to a good team is a win-win situation for me,” he said. “There’s rumors out there what’s going on, what’s being told. I don’t let it bother me. I’m just here to play football, and that’s what it’s all about.”

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound receiver is a burner who figures to spread the field and give Brady a speed option he hasn’t had since Randy Moss. He can line up outside but also can be used in the slot.

“I definitely think I can do that at a high level,” Cooks said, when asked about the possibility of lining up in the slot. “It’ll be all about what coach (Bill) Belichick and the (offensive coordinator) think I can fit well at, and doing my job as best as I can.”

The Patriots have had their eye on Cooks since viewing him up close during joint preseason practice sessions with the Saints. He was often matched against Malcolm Butler. Cooks said he got a lot out of those one-on-one sessions.

“It was a battle. Good against good. Those are the types of matchups you look forward to,” said Cooks. “To be able to practice against him as well as play against him in the game was fun and helped me become better in my career, and hopefully it did the same for him.”

Those joint practices also gave Cooks a perspective about the Patriots that make him eager to join the team.

“Every time I went against them, you could see why they were a first-class organization, from the way they run things, to the way they coach their players,” Cooks said. “My impression was very high for that organization. You see why they are who they are. It’s a dream come true and a blessing to have this opportunity now.”

Cooks, who went to Oregon State, said he loves challenges, and loves to prove himself. He’s not the biggest receiver, but he competes and plays bigger than his size.

“Having three older brothers, having to fight to get what you want, I think that helps out a lot as far as toughness,” said Cooks, who was 7 when his father died. “One thing you can’t measure is heart. I feel like I got one of the biggest hearts out there. Physical wise, I’m not too worried about playing ball, and doing what I have to do.”

Losing his father at a young age, he said, gave him a tremendous perspective on life and shaped the man he is today.

“I look at it as a positive and a blessing because of the hardships we had to overcome. To be able to play this game, the hardships we go through on the field is nothing compared with that,” he said. “I’m just blessed to be able to make my mom proud of me, my family proud of me . . . and make her happy and take care of her one day. It was a hard time, but it made me who I am today.”

‘I’ve followed Tom Brady since I was a kid. To have a chance to play with him, it’s awesome.’ — WR BRANDIN COOKS On going from the Saints to Patriots