The Texans have been roundly criticized for the DeAndre Hopkins trade, but head coach Bill O’Brien doesn’t seem to be having any second thoughts about the swap. In a virtual press conference with reporters, O’Brien defended the deal that brought running back David Johnson to Houston. 
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“We feel very, very good about being able to get the 40th pick, being able to get David Johnson,” O’Brien said (via Reuters). “We feel really good about when we looked at the analytics of it, based on the production that was leaving our team and the production that we were bringing in, and then what we were able to do. Again, it’s very incomplete, and we have several roster moves left to go, including a draft and all the other things that I mentioned earlier. So we feel very good about the value that we got from the trade.”
The Texans didn’t stop dealing after that. Soon after shipping Hopkins to the Cardinals, they sent their original 2020 second-rounder to the Rams for Brandin Cooks while holding on to the No. 40 pick from Arizona. In short, they dealt one of the game’s most dangerous wide receivers for a lesser receiver with a history of concussions and once elite running back who has been slowed by multiple injuries. Fans in Houston are none-too-pleased, but O’Brien is asking them to be patient.
“I think the best thing I can tell the fans is to please — because I know the media’s job is to evaluate right away, I get that, I have a lot of respect for the media, I’ve always said that — but I think we have to let it all play out,” O’Brien said. “Let it play out. Let the whole thing play out, whether it’s that trade or anything else that we’ve done. I’d say let’s review it a year from now, two years from now, three years from now. Let’s let it all play out.”
In a “down” 2019, Hopkins still managed 104 catches for 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns. Johnson, meanwhile, carried the ball just 94 times and averaged 3.7 yards per try.
Control freak!
The worst trade in nfl history, he should be fired for it
He’s an idiot. I don’t want to raise the race card here but you have had Hopkins and Clowney both traded. Hopkins healthy and always productive. Then you have Watt who can’t stay on the field getting what he wants
While O’Brien is an idiot, the race card? Really?
Absolutely pathetic
Are Johnson and Cooks white too?
Hey I’m going off what I’ve seen the last 2 years with big name players. I stand corrected, not afraid to admit I was wrong
Wrong about what exactly? The fact that you pull the race card so quickly without evaluating a shred of the facts? This is exactly the type of crap that doesn’t belong in these threads.
excellent comment.
it’s not that you got it wrong. it’s that you got it wrong in such an egregious and offensive manner. it’s just like the media when it’s covering politics. They never get it wrong when they’re covering one side. but every now and then they’ll get it wrong when they’re covering the other side. very suspect behavior
Yea, that’s way off base. Watt has an albatross of a contract so they can’t trade him. Not sure what his guarantees are, but I’m sure they would have cut him and signed him to a lesser deal. They made their choice when they signed watt (not BOB for the record). Anyone who thought Houston would spend 40 million on two defensive ends was living in fantasy land. And they traded Nuk for their reasons, none of which I will say is race. He just traded to DJ and Cooks, both black. So where are they playing race games? Coz they can’t get rid of watt? They have one of the only black qbs in the league. I won’t argue that the owner is blatantly racist with some of the stuff he has said, but I would strongly disagree that race played any role in BOBs decisions
You didn’t really play the race card because he got rid of two players that’s weak. Watson is one of the few black qbs in the league and he literally just traded for Brandon cooks who last I checked isn’t white
Yeah that’s why he traded up to get Watson. Traded for Tunsil and Stills.
Why were Hopkins and Clowney traded? Nothing to do with race, shows how well you pay attention. Has everything to do with $$$$. Hopkins wants 19 mill a year. Clowney was asking for 20 mill a year.
O Brien comes from the bill Belicheck school of coaching; you want high end money let someone else pay you. Doubt you implied bill was racist when he traded Jamie Collins to the browns or Deion Branch to the Seahawks cause they wanted to get paid.
Jj watt signed a 6 year extension in 2014 same year bill o Brien became coach. Watt signed the extension in September. If watt was expecting to get paid big bucks you’d most likely see him traded….but you know race and racism!
You should really look things up before posting trash like this man. Now you just look dumb.
If he ships Watson out of town then we’ll talk lol
“I couldn’t tell Steve no, that would have been rude”
Fucking clown. I feel bad for the Texans fans and I’m a Cleveland fan. I know the pain of an inept decision maker.
O’Brien as a GM is the biggest clusterf**k in the history of clusterf**ks.
He must have pictures on the owner.
Just noticed this, but Bill O’Brien is quite ugly
Let’s evaluate it in 2 to 3 years… as I steal millions from the Texans while masquerading as a competetent coac and GM!! Dude is a joke and should be working the drive thru at Mickey D’s
4 out of 5. AFC champs. You must be a fan of one of the teams they keep beating. So therefore you can eat it
The moment Bill Belichick decided to trade Brandon Cooks … link to m.youtube.com
One thing Bill O’Brien has 100% accurate. It’s that you’re going to have to wait to evaluate this trade. It is full-heartedly and unwise to do so right now. This is the case in all situations like this. For those of you who aren’t wise let me let you in a little secret. This is the number one thing that’s wise people do. We wait for all the facts. And right now there’s a lot of facts we don’t know. We don’t know what David Johnson is going to look like in Houston with that offense and that quarterback. We don’t know what Brandon Cooks is going to look like in the same scenario. Both have improved their situations dramatically. It seems reasonable to think that maybe their performance will improve along with it. Both also have a history of performing at an extremely high level. Who’s to say they don’t rebound? And if they do would those of you who made fun of Bill O’Brien for making this trade and called him all sorts of names come back and apologize and admit that you were wrong? Of course not. Because that’s not what people like you do.
Reserve judgment. Right now it does not look like the best of moves, but ultimately we do not know and will not know for a little while. At least one season
This is not the Hershel Walker trade.
In a few years Bill O’Brien will be long gone, Watson will be franchised one time and then let go to a contending team in free agency and Houston will circle this move as the beginning of the end.
We don’t know what will happen. However, I do think the market for Hopkins could’ve been higher if they kept looking around. But perhaps they really liked David Johnson.
This man said give it 3 years? The Texans have a super bowl contending roster right now! Terrible ownership to keep this clown around. A joke for the franchise
This better work out, and I can see working out, but otherwise O’Brien is getting fired.