The Houston Texans traded away DeAndre Hopkins in a move that will shake up the AFC South and the Titans off-season plans.
Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry were two huge free agent stories that Titans fans were monitoring, but no one expected to have an alert set up for DeAndre Hopkins.
The Houston Texans traded All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for running back David Johnson, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The teams will exchange picks in future drafts as a part of the entire deal.
Cardinals get: WR DeAndre Hopkins and a 4th-round pick.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2020
Texans get: RB David Johnson, a second-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick.
It’s rare for a team to trade away their best player in the peak of his prime but the Texans have shown a continuing display of mismanagement in the front office. Since head coach Bill O’Brien took over as general manager, the team has continued to flush away assets and talent in a series of questionable moves.
Last season, the Texans traded away premier pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney for picks and backup players. Then, they traded first round picks for tackle Laremy Tunsil from the Dolphins. Both were questionable trades that did not quite pan out for the team.
While the Texans continue their questionable decision making, this trade will have ripple effects across the league, particularly in the Titans free agent plans.
With arguably the best offensive player in the AFC South gone, the Titans have a slightly less focus to put in the secondary, particularly in the cornerback position. During DeAndre Hopkins seven year stint in Houston, he has put over six 100-yard games, including a personal best 238 yard game in 2014.
Hopkins cooked the Titans secondary year after year and was devastating in the last game he played against the Titans, racking up 119 yards on six catches in a crucial Texans win. With Hopkins not in the division anymore, the Titans have the best receiver in the conference in A.J Brown.
Furthermore, the Titans probably do not have to spend top dollar on bringing back Logan Ryan or another free agent cornerback. Hopkins single handedly forced the Titans to change defensive schemes and personnel. The Titans can focus on other weaknesses first, such as the offensive line and edge rusher, before spending the rest of their cap space on a cornerback.
The Texans are undoubtedly weaker now than they were a week ago. The Titans have a clear shot at taking the crown in the division. With the Jaguars emptying their roster in a rebuild and the Colts with no answer at quarterback, the Titans have had their best shot at winning the AFC South in the last ten years.
The Titans have already been active in the market with their moves. They might take extra space to splurge on big ticket free agents to capitalize on this window. The team believes they have the structure for a Super Bowl run and this the perfect move from an opposing team to give the Titans a chance at securing a top seed in the AFC.
The Texans have stolen the AFC crown four of the last five years while the Titans have a game or two behind many of those years. With a few moves this off-season, the Titans can slide to the top.