Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson is drawing interest from four teams looking to acquire him via trade, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport. Johnson is currently working out after missing all of OTAs and mandatory minicamp while holding out after he expressed disappointment in the team's offseason.
4 teams reportedly interested in trading for Texans’ Andre Johnson
Johnson is drawing interest from across the league, adding intrigue to this drama.
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Why it makes sense to trade Johnson
Johnson is a great player, but he is aging. On Friday, Johnson will turn 33 years old and likely has most, if not all, of his best years behind him. Last year, Johnson was still elite with 109 catches and 1,407 yards, but how long can that type of production last?
Additionally, Houston would likely be happy to recoup a ton of cap space by jettisoning Johnson’s contract. Johnson is still due three years and $31.5 million with more than $10 million coming in guarantees. Johnson’s contract is virtually guaranteed until 2016, when it can be torn up and the team can save $14 million with only $2 million in dead money against the cap.
Why it does not make sense to trade Johnson
Johnson, despite his age, is still one of the top receivers in the league along with A.J. Green, Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald. Without Johnson, the Texans are left with a passing attack that features Ryan Fitzpatrick throwing to second-year receiver DeAndre Hopkins and not much else.
Despite the Texans going 2-14 last year, many see a team that can immediately return to a competitive level with stars such as J.J. Watt, Arian Foster, Brian Cushing and others on the roster. The AFC South is also a weak division, with only the Indianapolis Colts appearing to boast a strong postseason probability.
Likelihood he’s dealt (1-10): 4
The contract is a non-starter for most teams. Johnson is a future Hall of Famer, but he’s on the wrong side of 30 and likely won’t produce at a high level throughout the life of his current deal.
Should the deal happen, it will likely be a team on the cusp of a Super Bowl that feels Johnson puts it over the edge. The trade cost won’t be much considering the contract going the other way, so perhaps a mid-round pick gets the job done.
See More:
