A.J. Bouye ready to become a free agent.
Albert Breer of TheMMQb.com recently spoke with cornerback A.J. Bouye who told him that he’s not mad that the Houston Texans likely won’t use the franchise tag on him this offseason.
“I talked to my agent, and I’m not mad that they probably won’t franchise me, just because of how much the franchise tag is for a corner,” Bouye said. “It’s a lot. At the same time, the situation in Houston, money-wise, there’s no telling what’s going to happen. At the end of the day, I know they want to bring me back but they have other things they have to address, which I totally understand.”
Breer spoke with two AFC executives who believe Bouye is about to cash in as a free agent.
"When I asked one AFC personnel man what Bouye would command in two weeks, the answer was a question: “What did Janoris Jenkins get again?” Another AFC personnel chief added, “Bouye will be the clear king of the class, assuming the guys we believe will be franchised actually are.”"
I’m not sure if it’s fair to compare Bouye to Janoris Jenkins just yet.
Jenkins cashed in with a five-year, $62.5 million contract that included $28.8 million guaranteed. That’s $12.5 million a year. Which is less than Josh Norman’s $15 million a year.
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Bouye never imagined that he would be one of the top cornerbacks ready to hit free agency.
“I was undrafted and looked at who was in front of me before injuries happened, it looked like a no-win situation,” Bouye says now. “When you have all those first-rounders in front of you, you’re just trying to take advantage of every opportunity. So I didn’t really envision this happening.”
If the Texans want to make sure they’re able to re-sign Bouye, they may want to trade away Johnathan Joseph once the league year begins in March in order to free up some cap space.
As of right now, I don’t expect Bouye to be back in Houston next season.
Next: 3 free agent offensive tackles Texans should consider signing