Blockbuster trades in the NFL are usually a rarity.
But when it comes to wheeling and dealing, Houston Texans head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien — who reportedly had a big hand in personnel decisions last season and got the GM title in January — isn’t afraid to make moves.
On Monday, he shocked the world by trading star receiver DeAndre Hopkins and a fourth-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for running back David Johnson, a second-round pick in 2020 and a 2021 fourth-rounder.
That seems like a pretty bad return for one of the NFL’s best and most reliable receivers.
So let’s look back at some other trades O’Brien and the Texans have made recently and see if they were similarly bad:
Jadeveon Clowney
The Texans dealt the defensive end to the Seattle Seahawks for a 2020 third-rounder, Barkevious Mingo and Jacob Martin after Houston couldn’t come to a long-term deal with the star. Clowney totaled just three sacks in Seattle, but advanced metrics indicate he was a disruptive force who will make a lot of money this offseason.
As our Steven Ruiz wrote at the time, the Texans forced themselves into getting back a bad return.
Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills
Hours after the Clowney deal that didn’t net the offensive line help the Texans needed, they handed two first-round picks and a second-rounder for Tunsil and Stills, which gave them receiver depth they ended up needing when Will Fuller missed some games.
Still: not a great trade.
Duke Johnson
The former Browns running back wanted out of Cleveland last year and he got his wish when the Texans gave a fourth-rounder that would turn into a third if he was active or 10 games (you’ll never guess it but he was active for all 16).
Johnson was just fine for the Texans, although he ended up with five total touchdowns. For a third-round pick? Not the best return.
Carlos Hyde
This one worked out: the Texans traded offensive lineman Martinas Rankin to the Kansas City Chiefs … and Hyde ended up with the first 1,000-yard season of his career. Houston was desperate for a running back after Lamar Miller tore his ACL, and it’s kind of amazing that O’Brien thinks he can strike gold again with Johnson, who looked like a shell of his former self while battling injuries last year.
Give him credit, though: good trade.
Gareon Conley
The cornerback started six games for the Texans after Houston gave up a 2020 third-rounder to the Oakland Raiders. I guess that’s a good thing for a playoff team?
But again: the Texans gave up so many picks last year!
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