Houston Texans Fans Should Chill About Wide Receiver
In early March, the Houston Texans announced that they would be parting ways with longtime veteran and fan-favorite receiver Andre Johnson. Since his departure, many analysts and fans have made a point that the Texans need to replace AJ in the 2015 NFL Draft.
I wholeheartedly disagree.
I don’t know if anyone watched the Texans last year, but it seems like this DeAndre Hopkins guy could be a pretty good receiver. He led the Texans in receiving yards and touchdowns, while also finishing 2nd in total receptions.
And people think the Texans need to replace Andre Johnson? Doesn’t anyone remember that Hopkins was drafted to replace him in the first place?
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Hopkins will be the No. 1 guy in Houston next year, so that spot is locked down tight. The real question is who will be starting across from him.
The Houston Texas signed both Cecil Shorts III and Nate Washington to bolster the wide receiver depth, but I think this group could still use a young draft prospect that could start on the other side of the formation within a year or two.
This year has been noted as having fantastic depth at wide receiver, so the Texans shouldn’t waste Pick 16 on a reach for wideout. The only players I would even consider at 16 would be Amari Cooper and Kevin White, but those guys still wouldn’t be a lock. With so much depth in this class, the Texans would be wise to wait and get a solid value receiver in Round 3 or 4.
Instead, look for the Texans to add depth to a position where a key player has a contract expiring next season. The three biggest would be cornerback (Johnathan Joseph), linebacker (Whitney Mercilus), and offensive line (Ben Jones, Brandon Brooks). This way, the Texans would be able to add talent for a rookie contract instead of having to pay all those players big money after this season.
In Round 1, the Texans will most likely use the tried-and-true strategy of taking the best player available, since there are no gaping holes that the front office needs to address.