Houston Texans Rumors: How to solve the Demaryius Thomas conundrum

When the Houston Texans needed wide receiver help, they added Demaryius Thomas. Now, his contract is a problem. Here’s how they can solve it.

For many, the answer to this problem is quite simple: cut him. However, for the Houston Texans, the answer isn’t quite that simple. Demaryius Thomas added a veteran presence to the offense that had been there and done that. But, he was also productive during his short stint as well which adds another layer.

You see, the Houston Texans offense was really starting to roll about halfway through the season. Deshaun Watson was really starting to get cooking and clicking with his wide receivers. DeAndre Hopkins was doing his thing as the best wide receiver in the league. Keke Coutee showed out really well when healthy. Lastly, Will Fuller was balling out again with a strong connection with Watson.

In week eight, Fuller was having his best game for the Texans. He had hauled in five of six passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, things took a sharp turn for the worst on his long touchdown reception and he tore his ACL in the endzone.

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With Coutee’s health issues this season and, really, his lack of size, the Houston Texans desperately needed someone to come in and take some pressure off of Hopkins and provide another outlet for Watson. Fortunately, the Broncos were floating out Thomas as trade bait and the Texans acquired him for a fourth-round pick and a swap of seventh rounders.

Thomas, as mentioned previously, brought a lot of things to this Houston Texans team. Above all, he provided great veteran leadership and another reliable pass-catching option for a team that was beginning to seriously lack them. He jumped in week nine and immediately contributed, putting up his highest yardage total of the season.

All and all, he grabbed 23 catches for 275 yards and two touchdowns in seven games. Not terrific production, especially from a guy previously regarded as one of the best in the league. However, he wasn’t brought in to take over games to so this stat line is just fine.

All that being said, his stat line doesn’t help the problem that his contract has presented from day one. The Houston Texans owed Thomas $4.5 million over the remaining of the season for 2018. However, his 2019 cap number is $14 million. As his play stood, he wasn’t going to be worth $14 million.

Then, in week 16, Thomas ruptured his Achilles tendon in a non-contact setting against the Eagles and his season was over just as the Texans were gearing up for their playoff run. This was yet another devastating blow to Thomas and the Texans. This also exacerbated his contract conundrum.

Thomas is now heading into his age 32 season coming off a late-season Achilles injury. That doesn’t bode well for his prospective future in Houston. Couple that with the fact that the Texans have an opt-out this offseason that will allow the team to part ways with Thomas with no dead cap.

So, the answer remains simple, cut Thomas… right? Well, yes, in a sense. The Houston Texans cannot enter the 2019 season set to pay Thomas more than pay Hopkins. That can’t happen even if the team does have the space to eat that money. This was only worsened by his Achilles injury.

However, that doesn’t mean that the Houston Texans shouldn’t aim to not have Thomas on the roster for the future. The Texans will cut Thomas, that fact is about as cut and dry as they come. But, after he is cut, the team should look to re-sign Thomas and bring him back to be a part of this team.

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Thomas has valuable experience that this entire receiving core, including Hopkins, could benefit from. The young guys like Fuller, Coutee, and even Vyncint Smith could learn a ton from Thomas being like another coach until he is healthy.

If Thomas is brought back on a two-year, $10-12 million deal, that could be a steal for the Houston Texans. He can help the young guns grow to be consummate pros and solid contributors and when he gets healthy, he can re-establish his connection with Watson and provide valuable snaps as a possession receiver.

Is it the flashiest or sexiest move? Not at all. Is it the right move? I believe so. The Texans have a lot of cap space, $82 million once Thomas’ $14 million is off of the books. Taking away $5-6 million of that per year would be a wise move for the Houston Texans.

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What do you think the Houston Texans should do with Demaryius Thomas this offseason? Let us know below!

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