Andre Johnson just wants to win. The wide receiver made that very clear when he made headlines in the offseason for questioning the direction of the Houston Texans. After the team opted not to acquire a quarterback in the first round of the draft, Johnson said he was beginning to question his time left in Houston. That set of a trade rumor fire storm, but Johnson stayed put. However, with plenty of teams taking a look at wide receivers at the mid-season deadline, could Johnson be sent packing?
The Houston Texans are not shopping Johnson. No matter how much the offense continues to struggle, the team is not actively seeking a deal for the wide receiver who remains on of their top playmakers. However, if a team were to come in with a big offer, could Texans turn it down? According to NFL writer Erik Lambert, the best fit for Johnson could be with the Seattle Seahawks who suddenly appear to be stalling on offense.
The reasons against this trade are due to money. Johnson is a $15 million cap hit. That is a big commitment to an aging receiver. Johnson has shown no signs of slowing down, but injuries have been popping up more frequently and that likely will not change. The Texans will likely aim to get rid of that at some point. The Seahawks might not want to take it one. The team traded away Percy Harvin partially due to money.
However, at the moment the Seahawks are lacking some identity on offense. Harvin is gone. Last year's star Golden Tate is gone. Russell Wilson is lacking a bit on the offensive weapons which of course means getting Johnson would be a huge upgrade to work with. The move is certainly a gamble, but could be worth it in the end.
For now, Johnson stays in Houston, something that will likely continue after the trade deadline comes and goes. With the offense sputtering, many question whether the answer is to bench Ryan Fitzpatrick for Ryan Mallett or rookie Tom Savage. Johnson jumped to his quarterback's defense saying it was not just Fitzpatrick's fault that the team is losing.
"When you don't win, everybody needs to look at themselves and see what they can do better," Johnson said, via Dale Robertson of the Houston Chronicle. "We all need to pick our play up, fix the mistakes we're making and do what we need to do to win. You can't dwell on one person or one guy. Head coaches and quarterbacks are going to get the bulk of the criticism because of the positions they're in. He has a tough job, a lot to think about on every play. You just have to communicate with him, let him know what you're seeing, stuff like that. Everybody makes mistakes. I make mistakes. Nobody's perfect."
