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3 Texans Who Could Be Traded Before Deadline

By Jason Schandl

Three Houston Texans players who could be moved before the NFL trade deadline.
Three Houston Texans players who could be moved before the NFL trade deadline. / Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
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The Houston Texans organization is clearly in flux. After firing head coach/GM Bill O'Brien, we can expect plenty more changes to come as the 1-4 squad looks to turn things around.

Those changes could include some big trades as the NFL Trade Deadline approaches. Here are three trades the Texans could make before the November 3 deadline rolls around.

3. Duke Johnson

The Texans won't be able to recoup the second-round pick they spent on Duke Johnson, but at this point any return would be welcome. He clearly doesn't factor into their offensive game plan very much (13 carries and 4 receptions on the season), and he's going to be owed a little over $5 million next season. Moving Johnson for a mid-round draft pick and committing less salary to another backup RB could make a lot of sense.

2. Zach Cunningham

Zach Cunningham has not even come close to living up to the hefty contract extension he signed in August. His 43.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranks 57th among 74 qualifying linebackers, and it's one of the lowest grades in the entire Texans defense. It may seem like a rash decision to move on so soon after inking him to a new deal, but that was under the O'Brien regime, so the Texans' front office may not have any reservations with that.

1. J.J. Watt

Moving J.J. Watt would be a sign that the organization is ready to blow it up and commit to a re-build, and trading Watt would bring back some of the draft capital the Texans are missing. When healthy, Watt is still one of the NFL's best defenders. He is also a 31-year-old who has only played in more than eight games once in the last four seasons, however, making him much more valuable for a team that's concerned about winning in the short-term. Watt is also owed $17.5 million in 2021, so a trade could also allow the Texans to be major players in free agency.

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Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.