2021 NFL Trade Deadline: Are The Texans Open For Business?

The polls are open until 3 p.m. CDT this afternoon. Teams are on the phone, scavenging, hastily attempting to jump start a rebuild or adding players for a playoff push and solidifying rosters for a Super Bowl run. The 2021 NFL trade deadline is TODAY.

Yesterda, big news broke that Von Miller was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for a second and third round pick. Miller is the perfect player to pair with a devastating interior rush. Your Houston Texans also made a move last week, sending Mark Ingram to New Orleans for a 2024 seventh round selection. It was a hilarious trade that we’ll never stop laughing at.

The Texans have a horde of other players that can be moved today since Nick Caserio signed almost all of them to one-year contracts. The problems are that multiple players have been out of position, which means shoddy tape, or their performance has been horrendous. Desmond King has failed at outside cornerback. Christian Kirskey doesn’t have the talent around him to anchor the center of a front seven. Eric Murray is expensive and still hasn’t found a spot in this defense. The contract restructure has made Zach Cunningham nearly impossible to trade, especially in conjunction with his terrible performance. Jordan Jenkins and Demarcus Walker have been underwhelming. Lonnie Johnson Jr. can’t play single high. Terrance Mitchell can only play Cover Two. Charles Omenihu is an interior rusher forced to play defensive end. Chris Conley hasn’t made an impact. Houston’s remaining running backs can’t break tackles.

It would be surprising to see the Texans obtain meaningful draft capital for any of these players. The real trade options are:

• Maliek Collins, who has shown juice as an interior rusher, which is something that every team can use.
• Jordan Akins, a 30 year old tight end who can’t block, but is good after the catch and has mainly been used as a decoy this year.
• Justin Reid, who is a fringe top ten safety but also a free agent next year and may not be part of Houston’s long term plans.

There of course is also Deshaun Watson. The Texans quarterback has been rumored to be headed to Miami for months, including a report that competition for Watson has been agreed upon but the Dolphins want assurance Watson wouldn’t be suspended. After all the smoke, expect for Watson to be traded next spring, not today. That’s what the reports this morning are saying.

We’ll update this post throughout the day as trades are made in the NFL. Last year it was quiet, with the Texans never receiving the deluxe nut package they wanted. This year should be more vibrant, thanks to the short-term contracts that Nick Caserio signed his horde of veterans to, and the fact that the Texans are 1-7.

UPDATE: The Texans are reportedly actively looking to trade a variety of players.

The Chiefs are picking up Melvin Ingram for a sixth round pick. Ingram has been unhappy with his playing time in Pittsburgh.

UPDATE II: The Texans have traded Charles Omenihu to the 49ers for “a future late rounder.”

Our story on the trade is here.

Update III: The Texans will not be trading Deshaun Watson today. Stay tuned until next spring.