Fleur-de-Links, April 4: Brandin Cooks traded twice in two years

Word on the Street

Drew Brees Sues Over $8 Million Ring, Jeweler Fires Back | TMZ.com
Drew Brees claims he was scammed out of MILLIONS by a jeweler who sold him an $8 MILLION diamond ring.

Saints legend Jonathan Vilma becomes a member of the Orange Bowl Committee
The Orange Bowl is a non-profit sports organization that promotes and serves the South Florida community.

The gameday nightmare Saints cheerleaders had to endure | New York Post
Before Bailey Davis was fired for posting a swimsuit photo online in January, she, like fellow Saintsations cheerleaders, were often tasked to sell calendars...

Offseason Opponent Breakdown: The New Orleans Saints
In anticipation of the official schedule release date in mid-April, take a look at one of the Rams 2018 opponents — New Orleans.

Grill Bill: How will injury affect Curtis Samuel?
Last spring's second-round pick continues to work his way back from a broken ankle.

Time running out for Bucs to get right at cornerback
Whether through the draft or in free-agency, the Bucs have tried and failed many times to add starting cornerbacks.

Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff on Matt Ryan Contract: 'I Think We're Close' | Bleacher Report
The Atlanta Falcons may be nearing a deal to lock up their franchise quarterback for the foreseeable future...

Lagniappe

Winners, losers from Brandin Cooks trade: Patriots have options | NFL.com
With the New England Patriots trading Brandin Cooks to the star-studded Los Angeles Rams, are the Rams now the NFC's team to beat? Gregg Rosenthal breaks down the winners and losers from Tuesday's trade.

Crabbs | DL Vita Vea 2018 NFL Draft report | NDT Scouting
Washington Huskies' defensive tackle Vita Vea is a physical specimen to behold. More importantly, however, is that Vea has shown promising growth in his style of play over the course of the past 24 months, a development that gives hope that he has yet to reach his peak as a player.

The Tricky Ethics of the NFL Sharing Troves of Player Data | WIRED
The NFL will start sharing RFID data on its players with every team—opening up questions about the ethics of analytics in the game.

Why NFL coaches fought to table access to video on the sidelines during games
Coaches could make better-informed adjustments with real-time video. So why are they resisting the option? Here's how the proposal to add video to sideline tablets got tabled (again).

Stedman Bailey: I'll show world 'I can't be stopped' - NFL.com
Stedman Bailey faces long odds of returning to the NFL after being shot in the head in 2015. The former Rams receiver, however, isn't giving up hope his comeback story will have a happy ending.

How two Las Vegas dads helped the Raiders get comfortable with sports betting
The Oakland Raiders are moving to Las Vegas, but for many years it was far from a certainty. This is the story of how a former Raiders running back, a UNLV professor and a 113-page report on sports betting helped ease the Raiders' concerns about Sin City.

NFL Rumors: Bills ‘Trying Like Hell’ To Make This Huge Draft Move | NESN.com
The NFL draft seems to always bring some fireworks, and it sounds like the Buffalo Bills are trying to be the supplier this year. Thanks to a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals, the Bills currently own the No. 12 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

NFL Draft 2018 rumors: Grading Josh Allen, Saquon Barkley to Browns talk - SBNation.com
A friend of John Dorsey’s told the MMQB he thinks the Browns general manager will go Allen and Barkley at No. 1 and No. 4.