As expected, the Houston Texans have returned to being one of the best teams in the AFC. They enter Week 8 with a 5-2 record, which is good enough to stake claim to the AFC South division lead. Yet, despite all their success, some are still suggesting the Texans should trade away parts of their roster instead of adding to it ahead of the Nov. 5 NFL deadline.
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Would Houston Texans really trade players away this season?
The Houston Texans only hold a one-game lead over the second-place Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South. Indianapolis could potentially eliminate that lead with a big win on Sunday when the two teams square off at NRG Stadium. Yet, no one really expects the Colts to beat the Texans, especially since Houston has home-field advantage.
Either way, no matter what happens, Houston is already being urged by The Athletic to become trade deadline sellers. But not in the way that most teams do.
Instead of trading the more valuable parts of their roster (which wouldn’t make sense for a contending Texans team), it’s suggested that Houston uses it’s strong receiver depth to add more future draft capital.
“The Texans have a chance to add to their 2025 draft picks by capitalizing on their depth at wide receiver. Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell are locked in, but Houston also has Xavier Hutchinson, Robert Woods and John Metchie III. A number of contenders are still in need of additional help at wide receiver, Baltimore being among them. A savvy veteran like Woods, who has been targeted only five times all season (three catches for 28 yards), should be able to pick up a new offense and contribute fairly quickly. Metchie, a 2022 second-round pick, has had trouble wrestling playing time away from Collins, Diggs and Dell. He also could potentially net the Texans a pick for the future while helping another team now.”
John Metchie, even though he’s had trouble getting ahead of the other Texans playmakers, still has untapped potential as a former second-round pick who missed an entire season while dealing with leukemia.
Then there’s also Robert Woods, who has proven to be a savvy receiver capable of playing outside or in the slot. Both could be upgrades for a contending team in need of another receiver. And they likely wouldn’t cost much in terms of draft compensation either.
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