House of Houston
Fansided

Houston Texans: Three wide receivers to trade for to replace Will Fuller

By Brian K. Patterson

Houston Texans chairman Cal McNair and head coach Bill O'Brien (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
Houston Texans chairman Cal McNair and head coach Bill O'Brien (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
TAMPA, FL – NOVEMBER 12: Wide receiver DeSean Jackson #11 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs for a first down during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the New York Jets on November 12, 2017 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL – NOVEMBER 12: Wide receiver DeSean Jackson #11 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs for a first down during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the New York Jets on November 12, 2017 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) /

Player #2: DeSean Jackson

Times have certainly changed for one of the NFL’s most dynamic wide receiving names to date.  DeSean Jackson used to dominate the headlines with his spectacular play with the Philadelphia Eagles but after a discord with then-coach Chip Kelly, he has bounced around a bit going from Washington Redskins to currently the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He’s still a No. 1 wide receiver for the Bucs but his targets are way down from previous seasons as Mike Evans and 2nd-year receiver Chris Godwin get the bulk of the targets.  He was only targeted four times by Jameis Winston this past Sunday against the Cleveland Browns and has only 35 targets on the season.

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), his overall receiving grade is an 88.4 (3rd among WRs) and he has a 85.3 grade (10th) on his drops.

Jackson still has a ton of value — elite-level — but I think the Bucs would want to talk to Brian Gaine if the Texans dangle a 3rd or 4th-rounder at them.  His speed may not be where it was in his younger days but I think it’s just enough to keep the Texans competitive, especially with this team looking to make a playoff push and a third division title in the past five years.

But it depends on where the Bucs think they stand — they’re currently 3-3 — with a hotly-contested race in the NFC South division.  The New Orleans Saints will likely win the division but who’s to say they can’t try to grab a Wild Card spot if they get hot?  The NFC is LOADED this season which will likely keep the Bucs out once again so I think they should listen on offers for Jackson.

Read. The Texans have no choice but to extend Jadeveon Clowney. light

If the Texans take on Jackson, they’ll have to look at taking on the remainder of Jackson’s three-year, $33.5 million deal that he signed as a free agent with the Bucs last season.

His prorated cap charge would be $5.5 million for 2018 with him having a $10 million charge for 2019.  The intriguing thing about his deal is that the Texans could cut him in 2019 and won’t cost them anything to do so.  He has no dead money attached to the final season of his pact.

Although this move would be a bit more costly for the Texans, they’ll be bringing in a proven vet that certainly could be a valuable contributor to this team.

Jackson, 31, has caught 31 balls for 526 yards — 22.6 yards per catch — with three touchdowns in all six games, including five starts, this season.

Home/Houston Texans