The release of Brandin Cooks hit a snag when the New Orleans Saints attempted to revise his contract in a way that would make teams less likely to claim him on waivers. That's against NFL rules, so the Saints had to revise it again. Even with new changes, Cooks cleared waivers and landed with the Buffalo Bills.
The decision to release Cooks felt sudden and overdue at the same time. He never fit the Saints timeline, but they didn't move him at the trade deadline. That felt like the end of the story until Cooks requested his release a week later.