The Houston Texans picked up receiver Will Fuller’s fifth-year option in the 2019 offseason, but they have until March 18 to make a key decision.
March 18 at 3:00 p.m. Central Time is the start of the new league year and free agency. If the Texans keep Fuller on the roster after that point, he is due $10.2 million from his fifth-year option. However, the Texans can cut their former 2016 first-round pick prior to that and not have that figure on their books, not even as dead money.
If the Texans decide to move on from an injury prone Fuller, who has played in 42 games over the possible 64 over his career, they will have to find another speedy receiver who can play that role.
Enter wideout Robby Anderson. The New York Jet is set to become a free agent, and if he does, he has the speed that would compensate for the loss of Fuller. And Anderson’s greatest asset would be put to use in Houston with quarterback Deshaun Watson heaving him deep balls. However, as Ben Linsey from Pro Football Focus points out, Anderson needs to go to a club that has playmakers who can draw attention away from him.
In New York, Anderson has not had the playmakers around him to draw away attention, nor has he had the benefit of the consistent quarterback play that would have made his first four seasons in the NFL a whole lot easier. At the forefront of those roadblocks has been the Jets’ inability to take advantage of Anderson’s greatest asset — his ability to get open down the field.
There is no other place that would fit that description more than Houston. Watson would provide consistency at quarterback, and three-time All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins would certainly draw attention away so Anderson could make plays.
Anderson would also surpass Fuller in another key area: availability. The former undrafted Temple product from 2016 has played in 62 games over the same time frame as Fuller. Anderson is also a big target at 6-3, 190 pounds compared to Fuller’s 6-0, 184 pounds.
One complication could be salary. Anderson reportedly wants $10 million a year. However, he may be in for a rude awakening when he gets on the open market and discovers no team wants to shell out that kind of money for a player who has not produced a 1,000-yard receiving season, regardless of the lack of playmakers or inconsistent quarterback play.