We heard earlier this week that Texans’ head coach Bill O’Brien and GM Rick Smith are attempting to alleviate star Andre Johnson‘s concerns about the direction of the team. While some may assume Johnson’s frustrations are attributed to the lack of quarterback talent on the team, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport points to something else.
“Johnson’s frustrations are not about the Texans‘ decision to not draft or sign a marquee quarterback,” writes NFL.com’s Dan Hanzus. “It is Rapoport’s understanding that the frustrations are the product of a deeper concern about whether Johnson wants to be part of another rebuilding process in Houston.”
Following the news of the disgruntled Johnson’s concerns, plenty of NFL writers offered their opinions on the matter. Here are some of them…
- Trading Johnson would “make no sense” for the Texans, opines CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora. While Johnson is the most popular player in team history and will certainly have a positive impact on young quarterbacks, La Canfora says a trade would send a negative message to the team.
- Meanwhile, Stephen Forsha of ToroTimes.com says that Johnson and the Texans should cut ties now. Forsha believes that the longer the saga is drawn out, the more of a distraction it will become.
- Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News ranks the five likeliest teams for Johnson next season. His top team is, of course, the Texans. Iyer cites the difficulty in moving such a large contract as a reason why Johnson will stick around. The Jets, Browns, Colts and Patriots round out his top-five.
- The Patriots should absolutely be interested in the wideout, says CSNNE’s Danny Picard. Meanwhile, colleague Steve Buckley compares the situation to that of another wideout in 2007. “You can apply everything you just said, just scratch out that name and put in Randy Moss,” said Buckley. “It was different, he was trying to resurrect his career, but he was also looking to play with a good quarterback.”
- The opportunity to add Johnson to the Chiefs should be taken “very seriously,” writes Josh Michaels of KCKingdom.com. The salary makes a deal difficult, and Michaels says the team would likely need to include players that cut a similar number against the cap (he suggests Eric Berry and Brandon Flowers). Still, while it all may be speculation, Michaels believes the team’s decision to not draft a wideout may be an indication that the team is interested.