The Houston Texans have just about everything they need to make a serious push for the Super Bowl. Deshaun Watson is one of the best young quarterbacks in the league, DeAndre Hopkins might be the NFL’s best receiver, and the defense features a ferocious pass rush led by a now-healthy J.J. Watt. However, the offensive line could use an upgrade. Even after selecting tackles early in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Texans should swing a trade for Washington Redskins’ disgruntled tackle Trent Williams.
Williams is holding out from training camp and publicly stated that no amount of money will make him come back to Washington. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Williams is furious with the training staff over the handling of a cancer scare in 2018. If Williams is true to his word, Washington will eventually have to trade him, and the Texans would be a perfect fit.
Trent Williams, Houston Texans A Perfect Match
2018’s Offensive Line Woes
If you want to compete for a title, you need to have a quarterback. After spending over a decade searching for their franchise passer, Houston finally found their man in Deshaun Watson. Watson has been nothing short of amazing over his first two seasons in the league, throwing for 5,864 yards, 45 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions throughout his first 23 games.
From a financial standpoint, Deshaun Watson represents one of the biggest competitive advantages in football. The Clemson product is already playing like a top-10 quarterback, yet he’s still making a rookie’s salary. Once Watson hits the open market, he will easily command over $30 million a year. He’s easily worth the money, but Houston should do everything they can to capitalize on Watson’s cheap years.
The team did a good job loading up on defense and skill position players, but the offensive line has been the Achilles heel for a few seasons. Last year, the line allowed a league-leading 62 sacks. The next-closest team was the Dallas Cowboys and their 56 sacks.
Granted, some of these sacks can be attributed to Watson’s tendency to hold onto the ball longer than he should. However, there’s no denying that Houston’s line was a major problem last year. According to Football Outsiders, the unit ranked dead last in pass protection efficiency. That’s simply not good enough if the Texans want to keep Watson upright and protected for an entire season.
How Trent Williams Fits With the 2019 Texans
Houston tried to address their tackle issue throughout the off-season. They began by signing journeyman left tackle Matt Kalil to a one-year deal. They didn’t stop there, as the team also drafted Tytus Howard and Max Scharping in the 2019 NFL Draft.
These players should help the offensive line, but they’re not nearly as good as Williams. Williams is one of the best left tackles in the league and is still playing at an elite level. He’s made seven consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl and should have a few more years left in his tank. Matt Kalil is better suited to be a backup, while Howard and Scharping are both untested rookies. Howard’s college film doesn’t justify his first-round selection, and Scharping will probably never be anything more than an average starter.
According to Over the Cap, Williams would carry an $11.2 million cap hit if traded to the Texans. Houston could easily fit this in their budget, as they currently have nearly $40.7 million in free cap space. Money isn’t an issue, and they could easily make a trade work.
Making A Trade
The Texans placed the franchise tag on Jadeveon Clowney but were unable to come to terms on a new contract. Houston and Clowney clearly do not see eye-to-eye on his value and the odds of re-signing the former first-overall pick after 2019 look bleak. Houston should accept reality and trade Clowney for Williams. Considering Clowney is the younger player, the Texans could probably also get another draft pick in this exchange. Losing Clowney is a tough pill to swallow, but Houston needs Williams more than they need another edge rusher.
This proposal should make everyone happy. Houston gets an elite talent to protect Watson, Williams gets a new NFL home, and Washington gets a talented pass rusher. Houston should be in the Super Bowl hunt, and Williams’ presence might be the extra boost needed to put this team over the top.
