The Houston Texans were one of the teams reportedly interested in trading for veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel. However, the Washington Commanders were the ultimate winners in the Deebo Samuel sweepstakes as they landed the veteran receiver for a 2025 fifth-round pick.
Late last week, Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports reported that the Texans and Commanders were “significantly interested” in trading for the veteran wide receiver and were believed to be the most aggressive teams.
However, the latest reports out of Houston shed new light on why the Texans ultimately did not get the veteran receiver.
According to John Hickman of the Locked On Texans Podcast, Houston checked in on Samuel, but the asking price did not reach a level that the Texans were comfortable with. Hickman adds that Texans GM Nick Caserio is conscious of the cap and “focused on development.”
Per source regarding Deebo, and why he didnt land in Houston.
— “That’s Fascinating🫴🏾” (@john_hickman12) March 2, 2025
“Houston did check in Deebo, but the asking price never reached a level Houston is comfortable with. Caserio is being very cap conscious this offseason and is focused on development.”
Samuel getting traded for a fifth-round pick shows the lack of interest the 49ers were getting for a receiver entering the last year of his deal. While Samuel would’ve been a nice addition to the Texans’ wide receiver unit, Houston can still address the position through free agency, the NFL draft, or the trade market.
If Houston goes the free agency route, they can re-sign veteran Stefon Diggs. Diggs had his lone season with the Texans cut short by a torn ACL in October. Before going down with the season-ending injury, he had 47 receptions (64 targets) for 496 yards and three touchdowns in eight games.
But if the Texans want to go back to the trade market, they could inquire about Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp. Kupp has two years left on his deal, making $20 million and $19.85 million.
According to OverTheCap, the Texans are projected to have $4.6 million in cap space, leaving them little leeway financially to acquire Kupp. Lastly, Houston can address the WR spot in the draft, which would hit on the development point.
This year’s wide receiver class has some talent, which is good news for head coach DeMeco Ryans as Houston has three picks within the top 100.