Surprise roster moves happen all the time in NFL, especially during the whirlwind of a period known as the NFL offseason. This offseason was no different, as cuts and trades from a variety of teams paved the way for the kind of discourse that's about to be written about right now.
In today's case, a pretty eye-opening story was published by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who stated that the Los Angeles Rams were pursuing the possibility of trading five-time Pro-Bowl and two-time All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams while trying to swing a trade for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown. This is quite the news, as the 33-year-old former Green Bay Packer just led the whole NFL in receiving touchdowns with 14.
Florio gave a presumption that the Rams were looking for a deal to be done by today, as a $6 million roster bonus would go into effect. Without a move, they're on the hook for that and his entire $18 million base salary.
While this seems like a very un-Houston Texans-like thing to cover, the reality is they also have a big-time receiver of their own that they may soon have to make a crucial decision about. That would be five-year veteran and two-time Pro Bowler Nico Collins. While there has been no formal discussions or news breaks on any kind of Collins move at this time, the Adams story just reminds us that crazier things have been considered and executed by these other 31 franchises.
The Texans may look to make a drastic decision soon on WR Nico Collins
To be clear, this is not a report or any scoop on any behind-the-scenes drama happening at NRG Stadium. This is merely a theoretical exercise that broaches a possible conversation that may happen in the near future within the walls of the Texans front office.
And this is in no way to minimize how important Collins has been for this organization since his arrival in the 2021 NFL draft out of the University of Michigan. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, Collins has become a staple in Houston's offensive theatrics over the last three seasons. Since quarterback C.J. Stroud became QB1 in 2023, Collins has ignited for a total of 3,420 receiving yards and 21 receiving touchdowns. This includes him eclipsing 1,000 or more yards in three consecutive seasons, which puts him alongside franchise legend Andre Johnson and former Texan DeAndre Hopkins as the only receivers ever to accomplish such a feat.
His contributions have helped catapult the Texans from a bottom dweller in the AFC to a perennial playoff threat and borderline dark horse Super Bowl contender. So, one could understandably now be wondering: If Collins has been such an X-factor in Houston's historic franchise turnaround, why is a Collins departure even a thought to begin with?
As stated before, this is the NFL we're talking about, and more eye-popping developments have happened in year's past. In this case, there are three legitimate reasons why Collins could be out of Houston sooner that we might be comfortable with admitting: Financial implications, injury history and potential replacements already possibly being on the roster.
The financial implications of the Texans parting ways with Collins
Ahead of the 2024 season, the Texans and Collins agreed on a three-year, $72.5 million extension, which made him one of the 10 highest-paid receivers in the league at the time. At roughly $24 million APY, Collins' deal was seen as very "team-friendly", and it also didn't limit the team from looking to add more receiving threats via the draft (Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, etc.) The remaining sizeable base salaries through 2026 and 2027 of said deal are $20 million and $21.2 million respectively (which is amazing in today's $30-$40 million receiving market).
However, according to Spotrac, the Texans could save tens of millions of dollars if they were to cut Collins in 2027. To explain, if they were to cut or trade Collins in the "Pre-June 1st" phase, they would save $17.1 million with a dead cap hit of $11.6 million. If Collins were released with a "June 1st designation" (or later), they would save even more money with a surplus of $22.1 million and dead cap hits of only $6.7 million in 2027 and $4.9 million in 2028. A cut/trade here would most likely have nothing to do with lack of production whatsoever.
Collins and his injury record with the Texans
Collins has yet to play a full season's worth of games in his five years in Houston, and that fact has raised some eyebrows within the fanbase. It became an even bigger talking point this past season when, after he suffered his second concussion of the season in their AFC Wildcard game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he would miss the following weeks' Divisional round matchup against the eventual AFC Championship-winning New England Patriots.
With him missing, Houston fell 28-16 in one of the most embarrassing postseason losses in franchise history. His absence alone was the root cause, but the fact that he's now missed more than 15 games over a five-year stretch is at least a cause for concern.
(Note: It also doesn't help that one of the Texans' best offensive displays was with Collins out in week eight's 26-15 victory over the San Franciso 49ers. They had 475 yards of total offense, which included eight different pass-catchers with at least 10 yards receiving.)
Texans could have a Collins replacement option already on the roster
In the second round of last year's draft, the Texans selected Iowa State wide receiver Jayden Higgins to partner with Collins on the outsides of the offensive formation. Higgins is almost the spitting image of Collins, as his 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame is almost identical to his predecessor's.
As a rookie, Higgins had the third-most receiving yards with 525, and he tied Collins for the team lead in receiving scores with six a piece. Is this to allege that that team is already positioning Higgins to push Collins out of the door? Absolutely not. However, it does mean that if the team were ever to move in a different direction, they'd already have an in-house option who could act as a facsimile of Collins.
It's never an easy conversation to have, especially when it includes a fan-favorite like Collins. Yet, this is just the business side of the NFL, and moves like this are contemplated about all the time. In the meantime, Collins is still a hyper-productive member of the team, and everyone who's worked with him knows how important he's been to their overall success.
While you're reading be sure to check out our NFL Free Agency Big Board, as it will keep you updated on changes throughout the league in real time (best remaining players, contract terms, analysis, etc.)!