There are bold takes that occur within the sports world and then there are extremely bold takes. Despite the popular opinion regarding the questionable trade, NFL Network's Bucky Brooks suggests that the Houston Texans offense is better without DeAndre Hopkins.
Brooks' reasoning is due to Deshaun Watson having more options to target rather than force-feeding Hopkins. Following the trade of Hopkins, the Texans signed Randall Cobb and acquired Brandin Cooks in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams.
On the other hand, Houston still has Will Fuller, Kenny Stills, and Keke Coutee on the roster. Provided that, Brooks believes the committee approach by the Texans will lead to better play from the entire offense — not just Watson.
Of course, Hopkins leaves quite the consistent production behind upon his departure from Houston. In just the past three seasons, Hopkins saw an average of 162 targets for 105 receptions and 1,371 yards per season. Not to mention, he contributed an average of 10 touchdowns per season since 2017.
Last season, Hopkins led the team with 150 targets, 104 receptions, 1,165 yards, and seven touchdowns. Behind the All-Pro wideout, the second-leading receiver in targets was Will Fuller with 71 of them. It's safe to say there won't be that sort of discrepancy between the No. 1 and No. 2 wide receivers in 2020.
Throughout Hopkins' seven seasons with the Texans, Houston boasted a top 20 offense in six of them. At the same time, Watson has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the NFL over the past few seasons.
While Brooks believes the Texans are better without him, it's hard to envision them performing better sans Hopkins in 2020.
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