Houston Texans head coach and general manager Bill O'Brien has been getting ripped incessantly. The criticism stems from his decision to trade star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals. And now, O'Brien is defending himself.
“It was in the best interest of our team,” said O'Brien, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. “DeAndre Hopkins was a great football player. We loved DeAndre Hopkins. He had three years left on his deal and he wanted a raise. David Johnson is going to be a great addition to our football team.”
The problem is that it's not just the fact that the Texans traded Hopkins. That is as bad enough as it is. It was what Houston got in return that made the deal look even worse.
The Cardinals sent Johnson and a second-round draft pick to the Texans in exchange for Hopkins. The two teams also swapped fourth-round picks.
Johnson will earn a tick over $10 million next season and has not truly been effective since 2016, when he rushed for 1,239 yards and 16 touchdowns and earned a Pro Bowl appearance and a First-Team All-Pro selection.
Since then, injuries and poor performance in general have derailed Johnson. And now, he is a mere shell of the running back he once was several years ago.
Making matters even worse for Houston is that the Minnesota Vikings later traded fellow wide out Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills for four draft picks, including a first-rounder.
Hopkins is clearly better than Diggs, and yet, the Vikings received a better haul for Diggs than the Texans did for Hopkins.
No matter what O'Brien says, it seems safe to say that he is never going to live this trade down.
Follow Us
Subscribe