Houston Texans continue to go on the trade market to improve
After losing Phillip Gaines for the season and Bradley Roby being out a few more weeks, the Houston Texans made a move for former first round pick Gareon Conley.
The Houston Texans and Bill O’Brien have already made a ton of news this season wheeling and dealing players and draft picks. Monday, the Texans used the third round pick from the Jadeveon Clowney trade to acquire Gareon Conley from the Oakland Raiders. Not having draft picks is unsettling for the future, to say the least, but there is a positive way to look at things.
Despite not having early picks over the next two years, the Texans have shown that they can find good players in the mid-to-late rounds in the draft. Charles Omenihu and D.J. Reader were drafted in the fifth round and have been two of the best interior defenders this season.
Below is a Pro Football Focus tweet about those two Texan players:
D.J. Reader and Charles Omenihu have given the Texans the highest-graded interior defender duo in the NFL thus far! https://t.co/p3l8hzQa7l
— PFF HOU Texans (@PFF_Texans) October 6, 2019
Justin Reid, Jordan Akins and Keke Coutee were taken in the mid rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft. The trio along with Reader and Omenihu have shown signs that they will be contributors for the Texans going forward. I’m not going to pretend that having early picks wouldn’t be better for the franchise, but moving them for proven players is easier to swallow given their success with finding gems later in the draft.
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Acquiring Conley from the Raiders is an interesting case. Conley had some struggles to start his career both on and off the field. After the dealing with legal issues, Conley’s 2017 rookie season ended early after two games due to injury.
In 2018, Conley had a nice bounce back season for the Raiders. He finished tied for fifth in the league with 15 pass deflections. He also intercepted three passes including a 36-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns.
Through six games this season, Conley was allowing 65.2 percent completions and a 108.0 quarterback rating. Both of these are on pace to be worse than the numbers he allowed last year, but some people believe that being in a defense that plays more man coverage will see an improvement in Conley’s play.
It is too early to say that Conley is a first round pick that didn’t live up to expectation. As a matter of fact, the Texans moving a third round pick for him is actually a good risk. Assuming that the Texans picked up his fifth year option, they have two seasons to figure out what he really is.
If he really does bloom given the opportunity to play more man coverage, it could see the entire defense improve. Tashaun Gipson will have the opportunity to make plays in the back end, and it will give the front seven more time to get pressure on the quarterback. It would also give Roby time to get to full health before coming back to help the defense.
Adding Conley, or any cornerback help, was necessary after the Texans were sliced up by Jacoby Brissett. Bringing him in from Oakland put a band-aid on an open wound, but it could’ve also fixed a long time position of concern.
Next. Should the Houston Texans add another wide receiver?. dark
Instead of going into the offseason being concerned about adding a player at cornerback, they can focus their efforts elsewhere. Now they need to make it work on the field against Conley’s former team this week.