Texans and Dolphins swap starting linebackers, draft picks

The Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins have agreed to trade Benardrick McKinney and Shaq Lawson and also swap draft picks.

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New general manager Nick Caserio is already getting aggressive with the trades and offloading contracts that affect salary cap space.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins have agreed to trade linebackers Benardrick McKinney and Shaq Lawson. In the exchange, Houston and Miami will swap late-round selections.

The Texans will save $6,437,500 in salary cap space. However, it will cost them $1,500,000 million in dead money against the salary cap to part with McKinney, who earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2018.

Lawson, a former Buffalo Bills 2016 first-round pick, produced 4.0 sacks and four tackles for loss in his 14 games in Miami, seven of which he started. The 6-3, 267-pounder has experience playing defensive end in his days with the Bills from 2016-19.

It isn’t the trade between the Texans and Dolphins Houston sports fans were waiting for in their push notifications, but it is a move that demonstrates the Texans are moving forward and not allowing the situation with Deshaun Watson to hold them hostage.