As the NFL Draft nears, Andre Johnson has found himself the subject of several trade rumors in recent days. The Houston Texans are rebuilding and head coach Bill O'Brien is bringing in "his guys." That has caused Matt Schaub to be traded, Owen Daniels to be cut and former No. 1 pick Mario Williams move on. Could the team also be planning on moving away from their No. 1 wide receiver? If so, the Raiders might be interested.
Let's get something straight, the chances the Cleveland Cavaliers win an NBA Championship this season are likely greater than Johnson getting traded. But, the rumors are out there and they cannot be ignored. Johnson put up 1,407 yards last season, but DeAndre Hopkins showed plenty of ability to take over the No. 1 spot if needed so the idea of getting rid of the wide receiver is not totally out of the box.
Having Hopkins frees up the Texans to cut cap space by trading the wide receiver. They would free up over $3 million this season, $8 million next season and $12 million in 2016 if Johnson is sent to another team willing to take up his contract. Houston would likely get another draft pick in return. They could grab a quarterback No. 1 overall and a wide receiver after that. So trading Johnson would not sink the Texans and there would be plenty of interest if he is available.
The Oakland Raiders would likely be the heavy favorites to make a move on Johnson. First, the team needs a receiver and with DeSean Jackson likely headed to Washington, Johnson would be the best available. The Raiders also traded for Matt Schaub, the former teammate of the wide receiver. Johnson was a big advocate for the Texans retaining Schaub over drafting a rookie and was not thrilled when they made the quarterback deal. Could a reunion be in the works?
It has already been reported that the Texans want more draft picks. The NFL Network reported a week ago that Houston had briefly discussed a trade with the Buffalo Bills that would give them more picks, but so far no deal has been made. Shopping Johnson as an option might be more favorable that getting the No. 1 overall pick.
Again, this is speculation. ESPN.com's Field Yates reports that if a trade is going to happen, it should be one involving the Texans and Johnson. Will it happen? The safer bet might be the Chicago Cubs reaching the World Series.