Two backups and a draft pick for the former number one overall pick
Texans deal Clowney for a paltry return
Aug 31, 2019, 11:42 am
Zach Tarrant/Houstontexans.com
The Texans dealt defensive standout Jadeveon Clowney Saturday morning. SportsMap's Fred Faour says O'Brien has completed his transformation into a super villain.
The compensation is underwhelming
Trade terms, per sources ...
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 31, 2019
Seahawks get: DE Jadeveon Clowney
Texans get: 2020 third-round pick, DE/OLB Barkevious Mingo, LB Jacob Martin
The Texans got the same thing they would have earned had Clowney played a year and walked, which is a third round pick. The Seahawks get the second-best player on the Texans defense from last season.
The two players are both hopeful depth for the Texans pass rush.
Botched by Bill O'Brien
The Texans didn't trade Clowney back when other premier pass rushers were moved this offseason. Dee Ford and Frank Clark aren't as good as Jadeveon Clowney but went for MUCH higher compensation. The Texans reportedly checked in on trading Clowney but didn't get anywhere.
With no deal before the franchise tag extension deadline, Clowney's value plummeted. The Texans went from discussion about a starting left tackle in Miami to backup linebackers and a third round pick in a matter of days. Of course, that is because Clowney held all the cards.
The franchise tag let Clowney manipulate the situation. He won. He got what he wanted. He will play 2019 for a team which desires his services and could likely increase his value with another strong year of play.
O'Brien seemingly won in his eyes I am assuming. He went from wanting Jadeveon Clowney to not wanting him on the team. His reasoning is his own but the Texans didn't get better with this deal.
Questions still remain at running back and left tackle
The @BuffaloBills are releasing RB LeSean McCoy. (via @RapSheet) pic.twitter.com/lqOtmV5LxB
— NFL (@NFL) August 31, 2019
The Texans still need a running back to pair with Duke Johnson and they could still use some help at left tackle. Matt Kalil is the projected starter at left tackle and the running backs on the roster besides Johnson have limited NFL snaps.
LeSean McCoy has been on the decline but might be one of the more worthwhile options.
Mingo might not have made the team
meet your clowney replacement pic.twitter.com/p8xgwqeWZB
— Eric Edholm (@Eric_Edholm) August 31, 2019
One addition in the trade is former LSU standout and former first round pick Barkevious Mingo. There have been many who cover the Seahawks who have speculated Mingo would not have made the team.
He has played for four different teams, three in the past three years, and has 10 career sacks. He graded out as decidedly average overall according to Pro Football Focus and slightly above average in pass rush.
Hope for Martin
Jacob Martin is not a household name. Just talked to a GM who gushed about his motor and how perfect he is for the #Texans system. Both Mingo and Martin will help. https://t.co/EzMiXGzSgY
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 31, 2019
Jacob Martin is a former sixth round pick for the Seahawks. He graded out as decidedly average overall according to Pro Football Focus and slightly above average in pass rush the same as Mingo. He has three sacks last year and 19 hurries.
Even Madden said no
When @EAMaddenNFL is a better GM than you, it's time to find another job. #Texanspic.twitter.com/lSK1bQoLIn
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 31, 2019
Duane Brown weighs in
👀👀👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/lLBU09p8sh
— Duane Brown (@DuaneBrown76) August 31, 2019
The Texans will likely look back and realize they shouldn't have traded either of these players to the Seahawks. The offensive line, especially left tackle, has been bad since Brown's departure.
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Nick Chubb didn’t expect to be a Houston Texan. At least, not until he got the call on a quiet Saturday at home and was on a flight the next day. It happened fast — too fast, even, for the four-time Pro Bowler to fully process what it all meant. But now that he’s here, it’s clear this wasn’t a random landing spot. This was a calculated leap, one Chubb had been quietly considering from afar.
The reasons he chose Houston speak volumes not only about where Chubb is in his own career, but where the Texans are as a franchise.
For one, Chubb saw what the rest of the league saw the last two seasons: a young team turning the corner. He admired the Texans from a distance — the culture shift under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the explosive rise of C.J. Stroud, and the physical tone set by players like Joe Mixon. That identity clicked with Chubb. He’d been a fan of Ryans for years, and once he got in the building, everything aligned.
“I came here and saw a bunch of guys who like to work and not talk,” Chubb said. “And I realized I'm a perfect fit.”
As for his health, Chubb isn’t running from the injuries that cost him parts of the past two seasons, he’s owning them. But now, he says, they’re behind him. After a full offseason of training the way he always has — hitting his speed and strength benchmarks — Chubb says he’s feeling the best he has in years. He’s quick to remind people that bouncing back from major injuries, especially the one he suffered in 2023, is rarely a one-year journey. It takes time. He’s given it time.
Then there’s his fit with Mixon. The two aren’t just stylistic complements, they go way back. Same recruiting class, same reputation for running hard, same respect for each other’s games. Chubb remembers dreading matchups against the Bengals in Cleveland, worrying Mixon would take over the game. Now, he sees the opportunity in pairing up. “It’ll be us kinda doing that back-to-back against other defenses,” he said.
He’s also well aware of what C.J. Stroud brings to the table. Chubb watched Stroud nearly dismantle Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Then he saw it again, up close, when Stroud lit up the Browns in the postseason. “He torched us again,” Chubb said. Now, he gets to run alongside him, not against him.
Stroud made a point to welcome Chubb, exchanging numbers and offering support. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s the kind of leadership that helped sell Chubb on the Texans as more than just a good football fit — it’s a good locker room fit, too.
It appears the decision to come to Houston wasn’t part of some master plan. But in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Chubb is a player with a no-nonsense work ethic, recovering from adversity, looking to write the next chapter of a career that’s far from over. And the Texans? They’re a team on the rise, built around guys who want to do the same.
You can watch the full interview in the video below.
And for those wondering how Joe Mixon feels about Nick Chubb, check out this video from last season. Let's just say he's a fan.
I’ve seen some speculation indicating that Joe Mixon may not be happy the Texans signed Nick Chubb. If that is what you believe, watch this clip from an interview with @greenlight pod last year & get back to me. pic.twitter.com/3vaip85esj
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) June 11, 2025
*ChatGPT assisted.
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