The Houston Texans are moving forward with Davis Mills at quarterback after trading Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns. To help Mills develop in his second season, they kept wide receiver Brandin Cooks in place by signing him to an extension.

The 28-year-old Cooks had generated some trade interest from teams in need of a wide receiver. Instead of trading him to a contender, the Texans are going to keep him. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Cooks' deal includes $36 million guaranteed.

Cooks has recorded two 1,000-yard seasons and led the team in yards from scrimmage in each of his two seasons with the Texans. He has produced at a high level no matter who his quarterback has been, as he has a 1,000-yard season for four different teams. There are more reasons besides his receiving abilities that make the extension worthwhile.

Texans head coach Lovie Smith told Sarah Barshop of ESPN that Cooks is a great leader, which will be very important for a team that is slated to lose a lot in the following years.

“It seems like whenever you talk about Brandin, anyone, they talk about leadership…You don’t say that about everybody. You have to do something really well in order for people to describe you that way.”

“All the things I know the good football players I’ve been around do on a daily basis is what I saw from Brandin.”

Houston is ready to rebuild with its young quarterback and reliable pass-catcher.