HOUSTON, TX - DECEMBER 30: Head coach Bill O'Brien of the Houston Texans watches warmups before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium on December 30, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)On Thursday night, the Houston Texans made their second major trade of the 2020 offseason. A wide receiver was involved once again.
Earlier this offseason, the Texans traded star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals. Houston sent Hopkins and a fourth-round pick to Arizona for running back David Johnson, a second-round pick in 2020 and a fourth-round pick in 2021
Head coach and acting general manager Bill O’Brien received his fair share of flak for the deal. After a few weeks of inaction, the Texans made another bold move on Thursday night.
Houston traded a second-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams for wide receiver Brandin cooks and a fourth-round pick in 2021. Fans immediately criticized O’Brien for the move.
Here’s just some of the reaction from Twitter.
Bill O’Brien really traded DeAndre Hopkins for Brandin Cooks and David Johnson
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) April 9, 2020
Bill O’Brien didn’t wanna give Hopkins a raise, but he just traded away a 2nd pick for a WR who’s on a $16M/year salary. In a year where the draft is exceptionally deep at WR.
what the hell is going on down there 😂
— David Helman (@HelmanDC) April 9, 2020
Two weeks after shipping Hopkins off to the Cardinals, O’Brien addressed why he traded the star wide receiver.
“We love DeAndre Hopkins,” O’Brien said at the time. “But he had three years left on his deal and he wanted a raise.”
Hopkins reportedly wants to become one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL. O’Brien and the Texans weren’t willing to make it happen, so they traded him.
Houston rolls into the 2020 season with Brandin Cooks, Willer Fuller and Randall Cobb as its wide receiver trio.
