Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)
Deshaun Watson responds to Antonio Brown to the Houston Texans rumors.
The Houston Texans have a wide receiver problem, one Antonio Brown can definitely fix.
Houston has one arguably the five best quarterbacks in the NFL in Deshaun Watson. The former first-round pick, who believes he should have won not one, but two Heisman Trophies while at Clemson, has all the talent in the world, but understands firmly football is a team sport and he can’t do it alone.
Seeing his favorite receiver target and Clemson brother DeAndre Hopkins be traded for running back David Johnson’s bad contract had to be especially painful for him. Fortunately, there does seem to be a No. 1 receiver readily available on the open market this late into the offseason in Brown.
NFL insiders like Michael Lombardi and J.T. the Brick alluded that Brown might join his former New England Patriots teammate Tom Brady on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His arrival on the Florida Gulf Coast would make the Buccaneers NFC favorites. The same thing would apply to the Seattle Seahawks, as Brown was seen working out with Russell Wilson earlier this week.
So when Cincinnati Bengals legendary wide receiver Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson tweeted late Thursday night that Brown should go to the Texans, you better believe Watson responded with a photo Drake sitting in limousine with the window rolled down to let us all know what’s up.
A Deshaun Watson to Antonio Brown connection means another AFC South title.
Though playing in AFC Championship games has never been their thing, the Texans are elite at winning the AFC South of late. Outside of the incredible one-year wonder that was the 2017 Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston has won the AFC South every other season since 2015 under head coach Bill O’Brien. If Brown becomes Watson’s new No. 1, it’s a three-peat in H-Town this fall.
Given the way everything played out for Brown in his 2019 year from hell, the Texans don’t have to pay the free agent wide receiver out the wazoo to come to Gulf Coast Texas. He’d be the unquestioned No. 1 wide receiver. Brandin Cooks and Will Fuller can never stay healthy, Randall Cobb is a high-end No. 3 at this point and Kenny Stills got a really sweet leg tattoo this offseason.
Johnson may be washed as a runner, but he is an elite pass-catcher out of the backfield. Houston has plenty of talent on defense. Plus, the Texans’ two biggest contenders for AFC South supremacy this season in the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans haven’t won the division since 2008 and 2014, respectively. One more high-end move gets Houston back in front here.
There’s a reason people view Watson among the three young star quarterbacks in the AFC with Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens. These three signal-callers all are their own version of special. The difference is Jackson and Mahomes play for slightly better run organizations. Houston is fine, but the Texans aren’t the gold standard.
By adding Brown to the receiving corps, Houston will host yet another home playoff game.