Next Man Mentality
Let's identify Deshaun Watson's new No.1 target
Aug 6, 2020, 5:18 pm
Composite image by Jack Brame.
Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien will be the butt of jokes until proven wrong. Walking away without a first-round pick in a trade sending All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was something of an enigma. However, in a way, perhaps Houston could come out the other side looking stronger.
With the 40th pick in place, O'Brien traded away their original 57th selection to the Los Angeles Rams for speedster Brandin Cooks. Add in the redefined Randall Cobb in the slot, perhaps their production gives Deshaun Watson more than just a single go-to weapon. However, in any high-risk scenario, best hope the cards fall your way.
Receptions yards and stud pass-catchers don't go hand in hand. Take a look at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys — both of whom featured a top 10 receiver and both missed the postseason. Still, having a player who can change the game with a rising pocket passer should fare well.
"Since we [traded] and got him, we definitely kind of built that chemistry," Watson said. "We've been talking ever since. Working out with him has been good. He's just a great person. His family is awesome, amazing. A guy that you just want to be around. He's seen so much football, been around so many people."
Cooks must break free as the team's new top target. Hopkins had been the definition of consistency at NRG Drive, finishing the last three seasons with a minimum of 96 catches for 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns.
Cooks, who will turn 27 this September, has been in the front line for concussion protocol, suffering a minimum of five in his six-year stint. Despite the concerns surrounding CTE and the impact of hits, the former Rams speedster has "zero" concerns about his history with the injury.
"For me, I'm not worried at all," Cooks said on Thursday. "If there is any hesitation or worry, I wouldn't be here right now. But at the end of the day, things happen in this game that you wish don't happen. But when you start to learn through this process, you really start to get an understanding on what this is. There's so much out there that people just don't understand that goes into it. I'm comfortable and I feel great and I look forward to continuing to just do what I have to do and go out there and give it my all."
When healthy, Cooks' 4.33 speed allows him to win in man coverage from a vertical standpoint. Starting his career with the New Orleans Saints, the former Oregon State product is one of four players to finish with four 1,000-yard seasons before their age-26 season.
Cooks' production diminished last season with 42 catches for 583 yards and two touchdowns. Should he find a natural balance between a constant casualty and supreme superstar, the Texans should remain confident in the passing game.
Outside of Cooks, Cobb could continue his comeback tour throughout the Lone Star State. The former Packer signed a cheap deal with the Dallas Cowboys last offseason and shined as the No.3 option, finishing with 55 catches for 828 yards and three touchdowns.
Cobb signed a three-year, $27 million deal this season with the Texans. Houston's inability to find a reliable slot option has been well identified via free agency and the draft. In 2018, DeAndre Carter and former fourth-rounder Keke Coutee combined for 33 catches, 416 yards and zero scores.
Houston is hoping for a full season with Will Fuller as their new top target. Since entering the league in 2016, the former first-rounder has yet to play more than 14 games and has yet to surpass 50 catches on the year. Flashing the potential of a sound vertical threat, Fuller's health could decide if he's viewed as a long-term option entering a contract year.
"He showed up and he's in great shape," O'Brien told reporters on July 31. "He looks good. He's been working out and working hard. He's excited about the season and he's excited about our offense. We're excited about having him for 16 games."
Health will be the main concern for the Texans' passing attack. Should three of the four top options remain on the field, they should combine to replace Hopkins' overall value. However, concussion concerns and lower-body injuries will always be on the minds of the Bulls on Parade faithful.
Houston won't know if trading away a top-five target could look like a win until their season opener on Sept.10. Perhaps Rhode Island rookie Isaiah Coulter could shock the world and become the next big-time target.
Should concussion concerns and lower body injuries minimally factor into the Texans' season, this could be Watson's top unit since entering the league in 2017. If not, there are more questions than answers as the two-time Pro Bowler gears up for contract negotiations.
"We're working hard," O'Brien said on Watson's potential extension. "We feel so strongly about him in this offense, in this organization. We want him here for a long time. We'd love to have Deshaun here."
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Rich Eisen lays out how Stefon Diggs trade will impact Texans next season
Apr 19, 2024, 3:03 pm
Impersonal as it might seem to have their dynamic on-field relationship end with an exchange of phone texts, Bills quarterback Josh Allen made it clear on Thursday how much receiver Stefon Diggs meant to him during their four seasons together in Buffalo.
Allen made no mention of Diggs’ mercurial temperament or the occasional sideline flare-ups by expressing only praise in his first opportunity to discuss his now-former teammate being traded to the Houston Texans earlier this month.
“Just thanking him for everything that he did for me, and (I’ll) always have a spot in my heart for him. I’ll always love that guy like a brother. And I wish him nothing but the best,” Allen said, in disclosing what he texted to Diggs. “My lasting memory of Stef will be the receiver that helped me become the quarterback that I am today.”
Brought together in March 2020, when Buffalo gave up a first-round draft pick to acquire Diggs in a trade with Minnesota, the duo went on to re-write many of Buffalo's single-season passing and scoring records, and lead the team to four straight AFC East titles.
Diggs, now 30, also brought an inescapable sense of drama with him in raising questions about his commitment to the Bills and whether his tight relationship with Allen had soured.
A day before being traded, Diggs posted a message, “You sure?” on the social media platform X in response to someone suggesting he wasn’t essential to Allen’s success.
Whatever hard feelings, if any, lingered as Buffalo opened its voluntary workout sessions this week were not apparent from Allen or coach Sean McDermott, who also addressed reporters for the first time since Diggs was traded.
“Stef’s a great player, really enjoyed our time together. Won a lot of games and he was a huge factor in winning those games. We’ll miss him,” McDermott said. “You never replace a player like Stef Diggs, and we wish him well.”
Allen turned his focus to the future and a Bills team that spent much of the offseason retooling an aging and expensive roster.
Aside from trading Diggs, salary cap restrictions led to Buffalo cutting respected center Mitch Morse, the breakup of a veteran secondary that had been together since 2017, and the team unable to afford re-signing No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis.
“I don’t think it’s a wrong thing or a bad thing to get younger,” said Allen, entering his seventh NFL season. “I think it’s an opportunity for myself to grow as a leader. And to bring along some of these young guys and new guys that we’ve brought in to our team. And that’s an opportunity, frankly, that I’m very excited about."
Despite the departures, the Bills offense is not exactly lacking even though general manager Brandon Beane is expected to target selecting a receiver with his first pick — currently 28th overall — in the draft next week.
Receiver Khalil Shakir enters his third year and tight end Dalton Kincaid enter his second following promising seasons. Buffalo also added veteran experience in signing free agent receiver Curtis Samuel and Mack Hollins.
While Beane acknowledged the Bills lack a true No. 1 receiver, he noted there’s less urgency to fill that spot now than in 2020 because of how much the offense has developed under Allen.
“Now that Josh has ascended to the player he is, is that a requirement? I don’t think so,” Beane said.
Diggs’ role also began diminishing in the second half of last season, which coincided with Joe Brady replacing Ken Dorsey as offensive coordinator. Brady placed an emphasis on adding balance to a pass-heavy attack and getting more receivers involved, which led to an uptick in production for Shakir and Kincaid.
While Diggs’ numbers dropped, Buffalo’s win total increased.
With the Bills at 6-6, Diggs ranked third in the NFL with 83 catches, seventh with 969 yards and tied for third with eight TDs receiving. Buffalo then closed the season with five straight wins in which Diggs combined for 24 catches for 214 yards and no scores.
”(Diggs) meant a lot. You look at the statistics, they don’t lie,” Allen said, in referring to Diggs topping 100 catches and 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons in Buffalo. “I don’t get paid to make changes on the team. I get paid to be the best quarterback that I can be and try to lead the guys on this team.”