Texans: Five reasons why there could be a Deshaun Watson standoff

Reason #4: The fallout

I understand the reason that Hopkins was traded, in the Houston Texans’ point of view. It would be hard to continue to build a team if they gave Hopkins the contract he was looking for, and apparently there have been plenty of teams in the past who have won championships without a top 5 wide receiver in the league.

But we didn’t improve the team after trading Hopkins. Watson won’t be happy about that. The offense got weaker. Watson won’t be happy with that either.

The Houston Texans signed safety Eric Murray to a three-year, $18 million contract, and I never heard of his name before the pact. Something tells me that was $6 million per season that could’ve gone to Hopkins.

Apparently not.

The friction between Hop and O’Brien is inexcusable. The value that came in return for Hopkins is DEFINITELY INEXCUSABLE.

Lack of communication between O’Brien and Hopkins and the reported friction that resulted between O’Brien and Hopkins was the reason that Hopkins was traded. It is also why the Texans were low-balled. It’s likely that the friction resulted from that lack of communication. Friction grows when people continue to bark at each other rather than try to address the situation at hand with a calm and positive attitude.

You’re the head coach O’Brien, and you should’ve been the first to stop barking if there was as much friction as said. Comparing Hop to Aaron Hernandez isn’t communication. It’s an insult. It’s the biggest bark of them all. There was no way in hell O’Brien was trying to fix that relationship. He was karate chopping the last wooden block remaining.

Communication has been an issue in the past for this team. It only looks to be a bigger issue with O’Brien as a dictator, and a lack of communication is where the real troubles begin to boil.

Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets once had problems. How was it fixed? A 14-hour flight full of talking and deciding what needed to be done. Fixed.  Two rings came as a result.

As the L.A. Times quotes, “Thomas was trying to sell the team, but it was a slow process. Instead, he and Olajuwon made up on the team’s long flight to Tokyo to open the ’92-93 season. 

What if they didn’t have that communication and Hakeem Olajuwon were traded or if the team was sold? Maybe even both? Would the Houston Rockets have two rings? Would the Rockets still be in Houston?

Now we come into a situation where Watson is starting to seem unhappy, according to the very cryptic tweets. In order for this situation to be solved, there needs to be communication and understanding from both sides. Watson needs answers such as where this team is headed and why he is convinced that this team is still for him.

The Texans need to understand what it is that has upset Watson and what needs to be done to fix it. Was it just the Hopkins trade and Watson still wants to play for O’Brien, or was it O’Brien’s poor decision making on how to deal with the Hopkins situation? Is Watson just upset about Hopkins leaving and is not mad at O’Brien or is he convinced that O’Brien is the main issue? These questions need to have direct answers and there needs to be a solution.

The last thing the Texans need to do is fire O’Brien if Watson still wants to play for him. Fans, including myself, may not be a huge fan of Bill O’Brien. However, if Watson is still in favor of O’Brien, then, unfortunately, the team can’t afford to lose O’Brien with Watson’s current state of disappointment indicated by his tweets.

I am confident that one day Watson will overcome any coaching issues and will win this team a ring one day purely based on talent in a roster. I am willing to keep O’Brien if and only if it means keeping Watson on this roster. I have no other reason for him to remain here.

If O’Brien is the problem, what’s the next step? It would obviously be to cut ties with O’Brien, but would Cal McNair have the guts to do it?

These situations can be franchise-altering. Communication is the one and only way to fix it all. Winning can also do a huge part, but all it does is mask the lack of communication. When losing starts, all of that lack of communication starts to air out into the public like a pile of clothes that haven’t been washed yet.

If O’Brien is Watson’s issue, then the Houston Texans, Cal McNair specifically, have a decision to make…