Trade might not be best option for Texans Johnson

It’s been speculated about for awhile now the idea that Andre Johnson is no longer happy playing for the Houston Texans and it came out yesterday that at least four teams are interested in trading for the veteran wideout.

I can understand where Johnson is coming from – he’s approaching his mid-30s and the Texans have not had a ton of success in his years as one of the league’s top wide receivers.

But I’m not sure a trade is in the best interests of either the team or Johnson … in fact I’m really not sure the Texans are that far from getting back on a winning track.

Sure, Houston had the top pick in the draft this year after a brutal 2-14 season that ended with a 14 game losing streak. But the two years prior a solid defense and a decent offense had this team in the playoffs – and into 2013 the Texans were a Super Bowl favorite.

Consider these factors :

• Matt Schaub completely melted down in 2013 after several years of serving as a solid QB in Houston. By the time the season ended it probably was time for him to go. But improved play at this position alone – there was a stretch at one point of four straight games where Schaub threw a pick-six – would have given the Texans at least a couple more wins
• Injuries hit the Texans hard last season. Among the guys who spent chunks of time on IR, stud RB Arian Foster missed half the season and stud LB Brian Cushing missed nine games. CB Johnathan Joseph and TE Garrett Graham were two other contributors who were hurt.
• Nine of the 14 losses were by a touchdown or less. This includes a stretch of eight weeks from mid-October to Early December where Houston lost seven in a row by fewer than seven points sandwiched around a bye.

So sure, 2013 was brutal for Houston, but these are not the makings of a terrible team. I’m not a huge fan of Ryan Fitzpatrick – he’s clearly a journeyman. But with a supporting cast of guys like Foster, Johnson, Graham and DeAndre Hopkins, he should be able to put up passable numbers.

The defense has added assets too, particularly with the return of Cushing and the addition of first overall pick Jadeveon Clowney – both of whom will make it easier for J.J. Watt to improve on his “down season” of just 10.5 sacks and 117 tackles. Louis Nix, a 330-pound DT, also joins the mix.

The 2014 season opens with five very winnable games – home against Washington, at Oakland and the New York Giants, home against Buffalo and at Dallas – before the Texans have games against Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. And it’s not like the division is imposing – Indianapolis is pretty good, but Jacksonville, though improving, is still a ways off and many pundits predict Tennessee could be the league’s worst team. Get off to a good start, get some momentum going and who knows – Houston could get on a nice roll. A 6-2 first half would not seem out of the realm of reality.

So … sure, I can see why Johnson might be intrigued by a trade, especially if a team like New England or San Francisco is among those seeking his services. But does a guy on the backside of his career want to take a chance on going to a place like Cleveland, where number one WR Josh Gordon is looking at a long suspension and QB Johnny Manziel could be great or could be a bust? Or St. Louis, where there is a lot of improving talent, but a huge wall to climb in getting past powerhouses like Seattle and the 49ers?

Today happens to be Johnson’s 33^rd birthday. He may be sitting at home right now thinking the best present he could get from the Texans is a trade out of town. I think the seven-time Pro Bowler might want to take another look – he may realize that the old adage about the grass not always being greener might, in this case, apply to him.