The Houston Texans have let go of another another draft pick, as it is being reported they have traded a third-round pick for a cornerback from an AFC foe.
The overall play alone by the Houston Texans secondary — especially the cornerbacks — this season gave the indication changes were going to be made, and one has reportedly been made by Bill O’Brien and the front office of the Texans on Tuesday.
VIc Tafur of The Athletic is reporting via Twitter that the Texans have traded for Oakland Raiders cornerback Gareon Conley for a third-round draft choice.
While the third-round pick is for next year’s 2020 NFL Draft, that will be a third-rounder from their trade with the Seattle Seahawks, meaning the Texans would have already traded their first- and now third-round picks for next year’s draft as they are now 4-3 overall and in second place in the AFC South entering Week 8.
Below is the tweet from Tafur:
Breaking: #Raiders traded CB Gareon Conley to the #Texans for a 3rd round pick, sources said.
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) October 21, 2019
Kevin Patra of NFL.com wrote this about Conley, who is a former first-round draft pick in 2017:
"“The 24-year-old has two passes defended and one INT on the season. Conley has been part of a Raiders secondary that has struggled this season, including getting scorched by Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers Sunday.”"
In parts of three seasons with the Raiders, Conley has 67 combined tackles with four career interceptions and one touchdown. Three of those interceptions came last season. He also has 18 career passes defensed, with 15 coming last season.
The Texans have really put the stamp on it that they are all in for this season because now they have traded their first-round pick for this season, and they have traded two third-round picks with their own third-rounder going to Cleveland in the Carlos Hyde trade and now a third-round pick from Seattle in the Jadeveon Clowney trade.
Injuries left Texans desperate at CB. Had one healthy at end of Colts loss. So they traded a 3 to Oakland for Gareon Conley first reported by @VicTafur They host Raiders Sunday.
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) October 21, 2019
Houston had better hope this will help improve the secondary because they are running out of draft picks to trade over the next two seasons, with the 2021 Draft already seeing their first- and second-round picks traded as well.
Something needed to be done at cornerback with not only how they played this past Sunday, but injuries are mounting up as well with Johnathan Joseph having shoulder issues and now Bradley Roby hurt too with a hamstring issue.
The secondary could be the downfall of the Texans’ season, and now with the addition of Conley, the pressure will be on to jump-start this unit and have them play some respectable football in Week 8 against his now-former team.