Andre Johnson is not a happy man. The wide receiver holds just about every record for the Houston Texans franchise, but is not sure what his future holds with the team. The Texans are currently undergoing a changing of the guards with Bill O' Brien taking over as head coach and a new quarterback coming in to take hold of the offense. Looking to win sooner rather than later, Johnson is not so sure he wants to remain with the Texans and could ask for a trade.
Johnson is considered one of the elite receivers in the NFL and has certainly endured his fair share of frustrations with the franchise. After getting selected by the team in 2003, he has become the all-time leader in receptions (927), yards (12,661) and touchdowns (61) in his 11 seasons. However, things have been spotty over the past few years. At one point last season during a game against the Oakland Raiders, Johnson walked off the field in the fourth quarter and decided not to return.
"Now I'm on my third head coach, that's something I give thought to," Johnson said, via ESPN.com. "I just look over my career, is it a place? I've only been to the playoffs twice. I think we've only had three winning seasons, two 8-8 seasons. I don't think any player wants to experience that. You go through a rebuilding process, some people say it's not rebuilding, some people say it's a quick fix. Everybody has their own opinion. But I've been through this more than once. When I make my decision, I'll make my decision."
Johnson notes that right now he is under contract and there is nothing he can do about that, but he would not be against a trade if the Texans opt to go that route. According to Overthecap.com, the Texans would eat $11 million trading Johnson, but would save $4 million in the end of the receiver's monster contract. He currently has three years remaining on a contract that will pay him $15 million in 2014, $16 million in 2015 and $14 million in 2016. A trade will be extremely hard to come by if Johnson demands one, but a few teams fit the bill.
The Cleveland Browns would instantly become the frontrunner for Johnson. Josh Gordon is expected to miss at least half if not all of the 2014 season after a failed drug test. The team did not draft a single wide receiver this year and need offensive weapons if Brian Hoyer or Johnny Manziel are going to succeed. Johnson would be the perfect target on the field and the Browns have the salary cap space to afford the contract.
The Cincinnati Bengals could also be a solid option considering they too have the cap space. Pairing Johnson with AJ Green would give Andy Dalton the one-two punch he needs to succeed. The Philadelphia Eagles have money as well, but after re-signing both Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper, the need is not there.