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Our biggest Houston Texans fears came to fruition. You never know what to expect with general manager Bill O’Brien after last summer’s cramming-before-the-regular-season trades to get rid of Jadeveon Clowney and add Laremy Tunsil. This lack of plan, this work from the seat of your pants, this thinking outside the box team building method focusing on whatever the Texans deem as high character, sent DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona a few days ago. Another wretched decision.
On top of that, all Houston has done in free agency is add Eric Murray and Randall Cobb. Great. The Texans still haven’t added anything to fix an atrocious pass defense. Cobb was ineffective last year in Dallas and will run a lot of drag routes on 3rd and 12 for 7 yard gains. He will do the things Keke Coutee should have done if he wasn’t in O’Brien’s doghouse and should still be doing.
The top names in free agency are pretty much gone. All the Texans can do at this point is hope. They can hope that Lonnie Johnson Jr. is no longer one of the worst corners in the league, J.J. Watt plays 16 games, Whitney Mercilus starts creating a pass rush on his own, and Jacob Martin turns into Elvis Dumervil. Because so far, the only player they’ve added to a crappy pass defense is Eric Murray, a backup safety who has a Pro Fartball Focus grade of, like, 60.3.
Today is the last day of the first week of free agency. There are still players to sign, even if O’Brien stood by his word that the first few days of free agency are overrated (they aren’t). Houston needs to pounce on someone like Markus Golden, Everson Griffen, Logan Ryan, Jimmy Smith, Ndamukong Suh, Derek Wolfe, Jabaal Sheard, Mike Daniels, Cameron Wake, someone, anyone, who can help this pass defense.
Anyways, here is your open thread for the day. Follow along with free agency here. If you get bored, head back to the front page, because content...content never stops.