Houston Texans general manager Bill O’Brien has been known to make a trade or two in recent memory, but how good or bad have they been?
By now, we’re all well aware of the ludicrous trade that was made last month by Houston Texans general manager/head coach Bill O’Brien, and honestly we’re all tired of thinking about it.
Though the trade has not been made official due to a lack of physicals being passed, there is a very low likelihood that it will be overturned or amended before the NFL draft. This trade in question sent shockwaves throughout the league and drastically changed both the Texans and Arizona Cardinals offenses.
Both David Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins have been All-Pro selections in their careers, but Hopkins is widely considered a Top 3 wide receiver in the league, and Johnson has had trouble producing since 2016.
The major upside to the trade made by Bill O’Brien, if any, was getting the 40th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, which should likely be used on a cornerback or pass rusher. Hopkins was definitely worth at least one first-rounder, and this is easily one of the most one-sided trades in recent NFL history.
Next are seven more trades made by Bill O’Brien as he is the face of all decision making when it comes to the team.
7. Jadeveon Clowney to the Seahawks for draft pick, 2 players
Just like the Hopkins trade this offseason, a lack of leverage in negotiations ultimately yielded a lesser haul than the player traded away. Jadeveon Clowney was the No. 1 overall pick in 2014, and despite never reaching the 10-sack plateau in any season with the Houston Texans, he was widely considered an elite player.
The most frustrating aspect of the situation was that the Texans and Bill O’Brien wanted to retain him, but were far apart in terms of compensation for a long term deal, which led to Clowney being franchise tagged.
Weeks before the 2019 NFL season, Clowney was traded to the Seahawks, who finagled their way into only giving up a third round pick, Jacob Martin, and Barkevious Mingo. Clowney only accrued 3.5 sacks throughout the year, but scored a touchdown and was one of their best defensive players all around with Seattle.
Martin broke out late in the year en route the same sack total in the regular season. Martin remains on the roster and looks to have an increased role, but Mingo had a harder time finding the field, and didn’t achieve much success.
Mingo was used primarily on special teams and is no longer with the team after signing with the Chicago Bears this offseason. Clowney remains a free agent and is apparently not receiving the kind of offers that he expected. Even if it was a one-year rental for a star player, Seattle won the trade.
6. 2020 6th round pick to the Patriots for Keion Crossen
There was nothing about this trade that warrants a negative reaction, it just did not involve a high-profile player, as the Houston Texans receiver cornerback Keion Crossen.
Crossen was buried on the depth chart all of last season, and was mostly relegated to special teams, tallying only 13 total tackles in the process. The potential for growth still remains, as Crossen is only 23 years old and under contract until 2021.
5. 2020 3rd round pick to the Raiders for for Gareon Conley
Midway through the year last season, Bill O’Brien decided to reinforce the Texans secondary after multiple injuries, poor play, and the release of Aaron Colvin. Johnathan Joseph was playing well, but was too old to keep around forever.
Bradley Roby provided a new jolt of energy, but missed time with a hamstring injury. After being drafted in the first round in 2017 from Ohio State, Gareon Conley also racked up a laundry list of injuries, seeing his value depreciate for the Oakland Raiders.
The third-round pick that was traded for Conley was actually the same pick acquired months before in the Clowney trade from Seattle, which some argued was not a great use of value.
During his eight games, Conley started six of them and managed 27 tackles and 11 pass deflections. Combined between his stints on both teams last year, Conley earned a 63.2 grade via Pro Football Focus, yet remains the third cornerback on the Texans depth chart.
4. 2020 3rd round pick to the Cleveland Browns for Duke Johnson
Shortly after incumbent Houston Texans starting running back Lamar Miller tore his ACL in the third week of the preseason, a major hole at running back appeared on the depth chart. The initial agreement made by Bill O’Brien involved a conditional fourth round pick depending on Johnson’s availability and performance, but his production led to it becoming a third rounder.
Many would say that a third round pick is worth more than a backup rusher, but Johnson proved his worth as a pass catcher and change of pace back throughout the year. Despite only starting two games, Johnson tallied 410 rushing yards and two scores while running for an average of 4.9 per carry. Johnson actually totaled the exact same amount of receiving yards, as well as three more scores through the air.
David Johnson is likely due to see the majority of carries this season due to the price that was paid to acquire him, but this was not a bad trade by any means. Duke Johnson is one of the best backups in the league, and remains a viable threat out of the backfield on any given play.
3. 2020 2nd round pick to the Rams for Brandin Cooks and a 2022 4th round pick
As hard as it may be to do so, try to view this move as completely separate from the DeAndre Hopkins trade made by Bill O’Brien. With two starting-caliber receivers on the roster in Will Fuller and Kenny Stills, another move had to be made in free agency or through the draft. Both of those players missed some time last season, so Randall Cobb was signed to a $27 million deal over three years to be primarily a slot receiver.
Now equipped with the 40th and 57th overall picks, most would have expected the Texans to draft a pass-catcher being that this is reportedly one of the deepest wide receiver draft classes since the legendary 2014 group.
Now throwing Brandin Cooks into the offense, the Texans feature the fastest group of receivers in the entire league, but health is a major factor for all players involved.
Stills ran his 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds, Fuller clocked in at 4.32, and Cooks was just a hair behind at 4.33. The risks associated with Cooks are his five reported concussions in the past six years, as well as his contract that rivals what Hopkins was making.
Despite the overwhelming number of concussions, Cooks has only missed two games in his career due to injury and should present another huge weapon for quarterback Deshaun Watson. After seeing many players retire early due to concussion symptoms, like Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, this risk seems calculated, but could backfire on any play.
The jury is still out on whether or not this trade was worth making, but the best aspect of it included having the Rams take on most of his 2020 salary. Cooks will only receive $8 million from the Texans this year, and hopefully sticks around long enough to show why he’s been traded for three times in his career.
2. The Laremy Tunsil trade with the Dolphins
When it was announced, the terms of this trade made by Bill O’Brien shocked every Houston Texans fan beyond belief. Sending two first-round picks for a player is usually reserved for the likes of someone like Khalil Mack or Jalen Ramsey, but the need for a top-tier left tackle in Houston was more than obvious.
The Texans had already drafted Tytus Howard in the first round that same year, but were looking to go all-in on a star tackle who could make the offensive line a strength rather than a liability.
Yes, the sheer amount of picks sent in this trade made it seem like they mortgaged their future to win right now. In a way, win-now mode can be extremely dangerous, but not nearly as dangerous as letting Deshaun Watson get sacked another 60-plus times, and putting the health of the young signal-caller at risk.
Julién Davenport and Johnson Bademosi had little value on the roster, but we are already seeing the effects of being strapped for draft capital and how it can affect team building.
Another other aspect of this trade that makes it a relative success for both teams was the inclusion of Kenny Stills, who worked his way for 561 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games this past season. Stills has never been a top option at receiver but continues to help Watson make major plays downfield and keeps the defense on its toes.
The Texans and Bill O’Brien may have been able to find a cheaper way to find the tackle of the future, but Tunsil earning a Pro Bowl nod in his first season with the franchise was a positive sign. If Tunsil can cut down on false start penalties this upcoming season, he can contend for top left tackle in the league status.
1. Martinas Rankin to the Chiefs for Carlos Hyde
Finally, the last trade on the list is one that only provided a year of production but still seems like Bill O’Brien’s best move to date. After already making a move for Duke Johnson last offseason, the backup job was completely up in the air. Players like Karan Higdon Jr. and Buddy Howell were in contention for major playing time, so it seemed like another player could be added.
On the day that each 53-man roster was announced, Bill O’Brien made numerous trades in one day and was able to find a gem in running back Carlos Hyde. After previously playing very well for the San Francisco 49ers years prior, Hyde had found himself struggling to cement himself on the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Hyde was signed by the Chiefs but was quickly traded to the Texans for offensive tackle Martinas Rankin, who had struggled mightily after missing a lot of time with injuries.
Right out of the gate, Hyde had a hot start to the season and ultimately finished with 1,070 yards, six touchdowns, and a 4.4 yards per rush average. Though he wasn’t a prevalent pass catcher, he added 42 receiving yards and two more scores through the air.
Hyde played the whole season with the Houston Texans, but remains a free agent. Hyde proved that he was a worthy pickup in 2019, but of all of the wild trades made by Bill O’Brien, this seems like the logical choice for the top spot.