The Facts: Earlier this offseason, there was speculation that Cooks could be a trade candidate given his veteran status on a rebuilding Houston Texans squad. Instead, Houston signed the receiver to a two-year contract extension to keep the 28-year-old around. OC Pep Hamilton said Monday that bringing back Cooks ensures Houston will have a go-to threat that defenses must game-plan for each week. "I think that when you look at just the production that Brandin has been able to have over the last few seasons, but over the course of his career, he brings a certain level of paranoia for our opponents, and that's going to open up the opportunity for us to balance out our attack," Hamilton said.

Diehards Line: While rebuilding squads usually rip the foundation to the studs, retaining a player of Cooks' caliber allows the offense to function at a reasonable level while grooming the rest of the roster. Keeping Cooks makes the evaluation of young quarterback Davis Mills easier in a pivotal season for the signal-caller's future. Despite skipping about the NFL, playing for four teams in his eight-year career, Cooks remains ultra-productive. He has earned at least 1,000 yards in six of those years, including both in Houston. Last year for the four-win Texans, Cooks generated 1,037 yards and six TDs on 90 catches (a career-high in receptions). Fantasy managers shouldn't overlook him come draft day.