NFL trade rumors are swirling ahead of the Nov. 3 trade deadline, and the Houston Texans might be one of the most active teams in the coming days.
Houston, who fired head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien, finds itself near the bottom of the NFL standings in Week 7. With a rapid turnaround unlikely, the Texans are reportedly preparing to be sellers at the trade deadline.
Since firing Bill O’Brien, the Texans have looked significantly better on offense. Even with franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson on fire as of late, Houston could reportedly trade his top wide receivers.
According to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, NFL executives believe the Texans will trade at least one of Brandin Cooks or Will Fuller before Nov. 3. It’s also possible both weapons could be traded, and they might not be the only ones.
Houston is also receiving calls from NFL teams about receiver Kenny Stills, tight end Darren Fells and running back Duke Johnson. All three veterans are contributors in the passing game, and trading them would certainly hurt Watson and this offense.
Unfortunately, the team finds itself between a rock and a hard place. While trading top weapons would limit Watson’s ability to make plays, this team desperately needs more draft picks. The Texans don’t have their first- or second-round picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, resulting from O’Brien’s absurd overpay for Laremy Tunsil.
Potentially heading for a bottom-five finish in the NFL, the Texans will be without top picks in a loaded draft class. So, trading the likes of Fuller, Cooks and Stills becomes the team’s only option to acquire more draft picks.
There will be plenty of buyers at the NFL trade deadline. The Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots are among contenders with needs at wide receiver. If the Texans make edge-rusher Whitney Mercilus or even icon J.J. Watt available, there will also be interest.
This isn’t the outcome the Texans visualized before the season began. However, the decision not to fire O’Brien this offseason and giving him full control to make trades was always going to have consequences. Unfortunately for football fans in Houston, the price is now being paid.
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