NFL Offseason 2022: Could some Texans be on the move?
As the Houston Texans enter a massive rebuild, could they trade off some of their veterans for valuable draft capital going forward and send shockwaves through the NFL?
Could the Houston Texans trade more than just Deshaun Watson during the new league year?
According to Mike Ginnitti, who is the co-founder of Spotrac, he thinks not only a Deshaun Watson trade is likely, but also a Laremy Tunsil and Brandin Cooks trade.
The legal issues surrounding Deshaun Watson are impossible to ignore, but his on-the-field talent is astounding.
If Deshaun Watson is to be traded, many teams would inquire about his services, including the Panthers, Commanders, Broncos, and perhaps any other team that doesn’t currently have a top 10 quarterback.
The other two players are high-quality veterans who are insanely talented. I’m sure the Houston Texans would love to keep them both, but the shelf life in the NFL is short, so both Brandin Cooks and Laremy Tunsil probably do not see a way forward on this team anymore.
We know that Watson will have a ton of suitors, and most of us can kind of gauge what teams would have the most interest. It remains to be seen what happens with his legal issues, but I am merely a teacher during the week, so I have little idea what to make of them.
Let’s shift our focus to Tunsil and Cooks. Tunsil is one of the best left tackles in the NFL, and is under contract for two more years.
The only viable trade option for the Texans is to trade him as a post-June 1 designee, which would save them about $18 million against the cap. They would incur a hair over $8 million in dead money, but the numbers are exactly the same if they trade him next year.
So, if Houston does not see him in their long-term plans, and the financials don’t change, it makes the most sense to trade him this year.
Trading Laremy Tunsil could probably yield the Texans a first-round pick, which is very valuable.
Which teams would inquire about his services?
Both Super Bowl 56 teams could use a left tackle, and the Bengals have the cap space and hold the 31st overall pick in the upcoming draft, so a trade there makes a lot of sense.
The Rams are surely preparing for the retirement of Andrew Whitworth, so trading for Tunsil gives them long-term stability.
Other teams that come to mind are the Dolphins, Steelers, Colts, Jaguars, Bears, and Seahawks.
A bidding war would ensue for Laremy Tunsil, which would only help the Texans. Trading him in a month or so does feel inevitable.
The other player that could be traded is Brandin Cooks, who, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated players in the NFL. His contract is extremely tradeable; the Texans would save almost $14 million against their cap and would incur just $2.5 million in dead money.
Brandin Cooks is set to enter his age-29 season, so he may not have a ton of time left. Trading Cooks, as he surely isn’t set to be in their long-term plans makes financial and logical sense.
Who would trade for Cooks, though?
Teams that could inquire include the Raiders, Patriots, Jets, Jaguars, and the Bears.
I’m sure there would be several other teams who would call, but those teams stick out to me. Brandin Cooks is a high-end NFL wide receiver and should be treated as such.