The Houston Texans are dealing with Andre Johnson trade rumors heading into the summer and training camp as Bill O'Brien takes over and teams like the Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots and NY Jets could be in on a deal, as names like Ryan Mallett or Matt McGloin could come over if he is traded.
The Texans are coming into the season after a terrible 2013 after going just 2-14 and that is one reason why Johnson has been mentioned in trade rumors, as he has been frustrated with the way the team has fallen down over the past year. According to ESPN.com, Johnson said he wasn't sure that his future was in Houston and that he will be staying away from team activities for the time being. The report from ESPN says that Johnson has not demanded a trade yet, but that he has not shown up to any OTA workouts and that he also plans on staying away from training camp. Johnson sounded dismayed about playing for his third head coach and making the playoffs only two times and after getting the number one overall pick, he sees rebuilding as the writing on the wall.
Johnson isn't necessarily railing on O'Brien personally, but at 32 he is looking to get back into the playoffs and he feels that Houston is far away from that goal right now. Johnson would be wise to look at the Chiefs, who bounced back from that same record to make the playoffs under a new head coach, but there are stark differences. Matt Schaub was terrible last season, but he had some very good years with Johnson and now he has been traded away to the Oakland Raiders, while O'Brien for now has settled with Ryan Fitzpatrick or rookie Tom Savage along with Case Keenum. Last season Keenum and Schaub split time and the Texans ended up losing 14 straight games.
Johnson had a massive season despite playing with an undrafted rookie free agent and a less than stellar Schaub and now he could be on his way out as well. Last season he had 109 catches for over 1,400 yards and five scores and he holds nearly every record on offense for the team for a wideout. Johnson may not ask for a trade, but the team may have no choice if he doesn't come back into the fold. During his career Johnson has been a good soldier and has turned into one of the most productive, durable and consistent receivers in the game. Johnson has only missed time over the past three seasons due to an injury in 2011 and before that he missed only three games in another three seasons stretch.
The Raiders could be a good fit since they need some more depth at wideout and also happen to have his old QB in Schaub, while the Patriots could make a big move to try and grab Johnson. The Jets have been mentioned in some trade rumors, while others have suggested the Cleveland Browns could afford it with their cap space and picks. The Browns may lose Josh Gordon for the year and getting someone like Johnson could be huge for the team.