In a word? No
Can new Texans WR Randall Cobb soften the Hopkins departure?
Mar 16, 2020, 11:36 pm
Houstontexans.com
The Texans got to work trying to replace DeAndre Hopkins late Monday.
Cobb stays in Texas
Cobb has had four 100+ yd games since 2015.
— Raheel Ramzanali (@The_Raheel) March 17, 2020
DeAndre Hopkins had six last year. https://t.co/shGSW5Pgky
Last year for the Cowboys Randall Cobb played primarily from the slot position and amassed 828 yards and three touchdowns for Dallas. It was his first season playing for the Cowboys and he managed two 100 yard games twice.
Funny money
The #Texans have agreed to terms with WR @rcobb18 on a 3-year $27M deal with $18.75 guaranteed #Texans @nflnetwork
— James Jones (@89JonesNTAF) March 17, 2020
This is a bad deal. Cobb will be 30 before the season starts and hasn't been regularly productive in almost two seasons. His contract checks in around the same as Adam Humphries of the Titans and John Brown of the Bills. Both are much younger or far more productive than Cobb.
The fear here, and the Texans have done nothing to dispel the notion, is Houston is viewed as an ATM. Agents will likely use the Texans to drive up the price on players or just milk them for exaggerated contracts.
Texans so slotty right now
Randall Cobb primarily played in the slot last year.
— Cody Stoots (@Cody_Stoots) March 17, 2020
So did DeAndre Carter.
So did Keke Coutee.
The #Texans have three slot receivers and two outside guys who missed games.
The Texans now have three wideouts who played primarily slot receiver in Cobb, DeAndre Carter, and Keke Coutee. Considering Carter just got extended, this is likely the end for Coutee. The former fourth round pick flashed his rookie year but never got out of the O'Brien doghouse as injuries and then a lack of cohesiveness in the offense doomed him.
Injuries a concern?
The #Texans top three wideouts (Fuller, Stills, Cobb) have played in about 72 percent of the possible games over the past two seasons.
— Cody Stoots (@Cody_Stoots) March 17, 2020
Fuller - 19/34
Stills - 29/34
Cobb - 24/32
Remember Stills left more than a few games for long stretches with injuries.
The Texans don't have depth at wide receiver and their top pass catcher, Will Fuller, has never played 16 games. In fact, this trio has five 16 games seasons combined, the same number DeAndre Hopkins had in his career.
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Michael Wacha scattered four hits over six innings, Vinnie Pasquantino homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Houston Astros 2-0 for the second straight night Saturday to run their winning streak to six.
Wacha (1-3) once again received little run support, but the veteran right-hander made the meager production stand up on chilly evening at Kauffman Stadium. He struck out six while walking two and never allowed a runner past second base.
Steven Cruz worked the seventh for Kansas City, his seventh appearance this season without allowing a run. John Schreiber left runners on the corners in the eighth, and Carlos Estévez had a perfect ninth for his seventh save.
Bobby Witt Jr. doubled and scored in the first inning for the Royals, extending his career-best hitting streak to 18 games.
Framber Valdez (1-3) gave up a sacrifice fly to Mark Canha in the first inning and Pasquantino's shot down the right-field line in the fifth. Otherwise, the Astros left-hander kept Kansas City in check, allowing three hits and two walks over eight innings.
Valdez had tossed seven shutout innings against the Royals last August in a 3-2 victory.
The Astros, who have lost five straight at the K, have managed just nine hits while getting shut out over the first two games of the series. They had rolled into Kansas City having won three straight and five of their last six games.
Key moment
Isaac Parades hit a two-out double and Jeremy Peña followed with a single to give Houston runners on the corners in the eighth inning. Schreiber bounced back to strike out Christian Walker with a four-seam fastball to end the threat.
Key stat
The Royals have only scored seven runs in the 32 innings that Wacha has pitched this season.
Up next
RHP Hunter Brown (3-1, 1.16) tries to extend a 24-inning scoreless streak for Houston in the series finale Sunday. LHP Kris Bubic (2-1, 1.45) gets the start for Kansas City after tossing seven shutout innings against the Rockies his last time out.