The Facts: Sean Payton told Sirius XM Radio Tuesday that he "absolutely" expects Cooks to be back with the team in 2017. "If you really want to cut down to the chase, he's a magnificent kid," Payton said. "[He's] a worker. He's not a kid anymore. He's a tremendous player. He practices 100 miles per hour. You have to slow him down some. He's got a great rapport with Drew [Brees]."

Diehards Line:There had been some speculation that the Saints could look to move Cooks in order to help fix their leaky defense. That seems to have stemmed from comments Cooks made after he went without a touch in a blowout win late last season over the Rams. A first-round pick in 2014, Cooks had eight touchdown catches last season and has 20 over his three-year career. The Saints have until May to decide whether they’ll pick up the fifth-year option on Cooks’ contract for 2018.