The Andre Johnson trade rumors have continued through the offseason for the Houston Texans and teams like the Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots and NY jets could be interested in making a move before training camp begins and this comes as Bill O'Brien has named Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starter for the Texans heading into the summer.
According to ESPN.com, Johnson has stayed away from team activities this offseason and while he is not asking for a trade or a new contract, he has been frustrated by the way the team has played since being a Super Bowl contender two years ago. Johnson told the media that he wasn't sure if Houston was the place for him anymore and now he could be on his way out of town. The Texans have a choice to make here, as Johnson has stayed away from camp and team workouts and if he continues to do that, the team may have to trade him.
The Texans are coming into the season after going 2-14 and that is something that has frustrated Johnson, as he has made the playoffs just twice since being with the team. Johnson is a prolific and very productive receiver and he had over 100 catches last season for 1,200 yards and that was playing with a bad Matt Schaub and an undrafted rookie in Case Keenum. The team also drafted Tom Savage to develop and there were rumors of a Ryan Mallett trade, but that never happened.
Fitzpatrick now comes in as the starter and while he is not a terrible player, he is no Tom Brady and that is another reason why Johnson is frustrated. The team lost 14 straight games after opening 2-0 last season and now Johnson wants to be on a team that wins. Worst to first is possible in the NFL, but the Texans have a ton of holes to fill and now Johnson could get moved. The Raiders and Browns each have the cap space, while the Patriots could be motivated to make a move as well. These types of trades are very rare this late in the offseason, but stranger things have happened and right now Johnson looks ready to go.
Johnson has nearly every record by the Texans at WR and he wants to get on a team that is not rebuilding and at 32 years old he may not have much time left. The Raiders and Browns went 4-12 last season, but both teams made moves to get better in the offseason and they can bounce back. The Raiders signed a number of free agents and also brought in his old QB in Schaub in a trade and reuniting with him could be something Johnson doesn't mind. The Browns are likely losing Josh Gordon for the year and adding Johnson could be an option since they have the cap money for it. A trade this late doesn't usually happen, but Johnson is not any old usual player and he could be a major impact this season if he gets moved.