Texans-Broncos Trade for Demaryius Thomas is Another Example of Bill O'Brien Getting Owned
By Jerry Trotta
Houston Texans de facto general manager/head coach Bill O'Brien has been berated all offseason long for authorizing a pair of maddening trades. As we know, he famously agreed to take on the bloated salaries of two oft-injured players -- running back David Johnson and wide receiver Brandin Cooks -- all while parting ways with stud wideout DeAndre Hopkins.
To the surprise of literally nobody, O'Brien's trade woes date back further than this disaster of an offseason. In October of 2018, the Texans agreed to trade for WR Demaryius Thomas, a player whose prime was YEARS behind him, while surrendering a fourth- and seventh-round pick in the 2019 Draft to the Denver Broncos.
Denver traded Pro-Bowl WR Demaryius Thomas and a seventh-round pick to the Houston Texans for a fourth-round pick, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 30, 2018
Thomas’ first game for the Texans will be....in Denver, against the Broncos.
Denver ended up trading those two selections, and O'Brien still somehow managed to get fleeced in this deal. When all was said and done, Thomas played just seven games for Houston that season, during which he registered 23 receptions for 275 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 16, the four-time Pro Bowler suffered a torn Achilles and the Texans released him that February.
O'Brien literally coughed up two draft picks for less than half of a season's worth of production from a 30-year-old receiver. The injury isn't even that significant here. It was more so convenient for Houston, as they likely would've parted ways with Thomas regardless. After all, he was signed to fill the void of Will Fuller, who suffered a torn ACL just weeks before the trade.
The #Texans are expected to release WR Demaryius Thomas today per source. Thomas tore his left Achilles in Week 16. It’s too early for a time table, but he’s returned from the injury quickly in the past. He tore his right Achilles after his rookie season and came back in 6 months
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) February 12, 2019
We seriously have no zero idea how Texans fans sleep at night knowing that O'Brien is pulling the majority of the strings in the front office.