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49ers & Rams’ cold war gets even colder with L.A. trade for Brandin Cooks

By Peter Panacy

FOXBOROUGH, MA - JANUARY 13: Brandin Cooks #14 of the New England Patriots carries the ball after a catch as he is defended by Adoree' Jackson #25 of the Tennessee Titans in the second quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 13, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA - JANUARY 13: Brandin Cooks #14 of the New England Patriots carries the ball after a catch as he is defended by Adoree' Jackson #25 of the Tennessee Titans in the second quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 13, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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The offseason cold war between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams added yet another dimension Tuesday, as the Rams added speedy wide receiver Brandin Cooks via a trade with the New England Patriots.

If you had any doubt about the Los Angeles Rams fully embracing the “win now” mode, all questions were put to rest on Tuesday.

This, after L.A. traded for former New England Patriots wide receiver Brandin Cooks.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report the deal, the details of which are listed below:

The Rams already spent a lot of effort adding talent to a team coming off an 11-5 season and trip to the playoffs under first-year head coach Sean McVay. They traded for All-Pro cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib earlier this offseason, which was followed by landing standout defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh after he was released by the Miami Dolphins.

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Yeah, L.A. is trying to win now.

For the San Francisco 49ers, arguably the only team in the NFC West capable of contending for a division crown this year, the latest move only serves to pour more fuel on the fire growing in this cold war-like scenario.

The Niners weren’t quite as active in free agency or on the trade market this offseason. Their big-ticket item, cornerback Richard Sherman, helps address key needs in the secondary. And running back Jerick McKinnon should be a pleasure to watch in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

Sherman will be one of the weapons the Niners use to counter a Rams offense now featuring Cooks, along with fellow top-performing wideouts from 2016, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp.

Cooks, meanwhile, spent only one year in New England after being acquired through a trade with the team that drafted him, the New Orleans Saints. He had 1,082 receiving yards on 114 grabs, marking the third consecutive season in which he’s surpassed the 1,000-yard mark.

Now, the question is exactly how San Francisco’s defense goes about stopping Cooks.

If it appears the Rams are ahead of the 49ers in this NFC West arms race, well, they are. L.A. is resembling something of a Pro Bowl squad heading into 2018.

That’s OK, though. With quarterback Jared Goff on his rookie contract, the Rams can afford to spend. And through this trade, they’re gambling away a bit of their future.

Meanwhile, the Niners appear to be playing more of the long game.

Next: NFC West power rankings heading into the 2018 offseason

Still, the NFC West showdown just received a bit more flavor with Cooks now heading to L.A.