The Houston Texans made another questionable offseason move with the acquisition of former Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks. As a result, it seems Bill O'Brien has effectively placed himself on the hot seat heading into the 2020 NFL season.
O'Brien has caught plenty of flak for his decisions as the general manager in Houston. According to ESPN NFL insider Jeff Darlington, his job security could be at risk:
Article Continues Below“The interesting part about this is that we talked about the offseason. This is really an extension of when Bill O'Brien became the general manager. Even in an unofficial capacity, before this season started. Trading for (offensive tackle) Laremy Tunsil, getting a first-round pick to do so,” Darlington said of the O'Brien-led trade Aug. 31 with the Dolphins for the Tunsil, wide receiver Kenny Stills and a fourth-round pick for the Texans' two first-rounders, a second-rounder, cornerback Johnson Bademosi and offensive tackle Julien Davenport.
“That becomes the question. Will Bill O'Brien, in his efforts and attempts to change the culture with the Texans, get enough time as the general manager to do that? Because he is squarely on the hot seat at this point. Despite the fact that he only has one losing season since he joined the team in 2014.”
O'Brien's tumultuous offseason began after allowing the Texans to give up a 24-0 lead to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round off the playoffs. The blown lead eventually led to a loss. Things only got worse after he opted to trade away wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals in a deal that essentially netted them running back David Johnson and a second-round pick.
Houston has since tried to fill the void left by Hopkins by bringing in Cooks. Although he has established himself as a bonafide No 1 wideout in his career, there is no question that this was a major downgrade for the receiving corps. Meanwhile, Cooks' track record with injuries in recent years leaves much to be desired.
O'Brien has a tall task ahead of him if the Texans are going to pick up where they left off. It remains to be seen just how long he has to see his plan come to fruition.