The New Orleans Saints cut Brandin Cooks this week in a move not many people saw coming. However, Cooks, shortly after the trade, deadline teased the displeasure that likely led to this divorce. It's just no one was listening. So to answer the question, if a tree falls in the forest, yes it still makes a sound.
Cooks was commonly thrown out as a trade target in the early portions of the season. He was an older guy on a team that was struggling. It didn't matter that the Saints had just signed him. Cooks fit the criteria to be traded.