Houston Texans: Andre Johnson trade no sure thing

By Dan Salem | Mar 4, 2015

An Andre Johnson trade is no sure thing. The Houston Texans are staring down the barrel of an expensive asset, with few teams willing to foot the bill. Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL TD Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate the NFL and sports.

TODD:

It appears as though Andre Johnson‘s time with the Houston Texans is coming to an end. John McClain of The Houston Chronicle (via Twitter) originally broke the news, leading to a report by Tania Ganguli on ESPN noting that “rather than accept [a reduced role], Johnson requested to be traded or released.”

This is interesting on two levels. First, why do the Texans no longer believe Johnson is deserving of being a starting wide receiver in this league? From where are they getting someone better to play alongside DeAndre Hopkins? Second, why would any other team not swipe him up immediately if he’s released?

I can understand the logic, if no team comes up with a trade for the vet. At this point, and with his contract, why would anyone offer much of substance if they know Houston will release Johnson in the end anyway? But after that happens, he should be scooped up in less than a day.

The production has declined recently for the 33-year-old wideout, but Johnson is still an effective player. He caught 85 balls for nearly 1,000 yards this past season. On what team is that not a player worthy of starting snaps?

Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

His injury issues are also mostly a thing of the past. Johnson has played in at least 15 games for three straight seasons now.

If Houston follows through with this and cuts Johnson, he can be a top option on a large swath of the league’s teams tomorrow. He would have been a starter on both of last season’s Super Bowl teams. What else do you need to know?

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DAN:

The Houston Texans are clearing the books, for what I can only assume will be a lackluster rebuilding year in 2015. That’s a hard pill to swallow for Texans fans and an even harder move to comprehend. Yes, Andre Johnson is owed a considerable sum of money. But he’s the offensive face of your franchise! Outside of J.J. Watt, who else is there in Houston? Arian Foster still deserves mention, but what will he be without Johnson on the outside?

The Texans ranked 24th in passing offense last season, an atrocious number considering they employed one of the top receivers in the league. I’m not saying Andre Johnson is top ten any longer, but he was firmly in the top thirty of the league in terms of yards per game and overall yards on the season. With 32 teams in the NFL, this makes him someone’s number-one receiver.

Houston has bigger problems than wide receiver. Quarterback comes to mind. So attempting to trade Johnson is a smart move long-term. His value is still high and will only go down if he continues to play for the Texans. Having already played a dozen years in the league, Andre has at least two solid seasons left as a number one option. Low and behold, he has two years remaining on his contract with Houston.

Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

We disagree on Johnson’s path forward, however. The Texans are unlikely to cut him outright. If they want him to slide into the number two role at wide receiver, I understand seeking a trade. Why pay your number two receiver the salary of a number one guy? But by all accounts its Johnson who wants the trade, not Houston. They seem willing to pay him for a decreased role, honoring his years with the team. What’s to be gained by cutting him?

To me this means other teams will be trigger happy to trade for Johnson’s services for a season or two. As you noted, many teams lack depth at wide receiver. Many teams could use a veteran presence at the position, with several high-caliber rookies coming up in this year’s draft. Houston knows this. They won’t cut bait.

The interesting wrinkle here is the situation where Johnson does not get traded. No team wants to absorb his salary, considering his production is likely to decline from its past peak. Teams would rather draft than trade for a receiver. Now Houston has a disgruntled Andre Johnson on its hands, a franchise great entering training camp knowing full well he’s being transitioned out the door.

Does Johnson hold out of camp? Does he accept his new role in a changing offense? I see little leverage for Andre Johnson, if a trade does not happen in Houston.

Next: Andre Johnson situation a long time coming

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