Every-Thing Sports

Texans finally trade Clowney, and it is yet another bad move

Houston Texans player Jadeveon Clowney
Photo by Michelle Watson/Catchlight Group

The saga that was Jadeveon Clowney versus Bill O'Brien has finally come to an end. Word came down that the Texans have moved the talented edge rusher to the Seattle Seahawks. They get a third round pick, linebacker Jacob Martin, and edge rusher Barkevious Mingo in return. The will he/won't he back and forth has played out over the last couple seasons. Clowney played last season under the fifth year option on his rookie deal and was franchise tagged for this coming season. He refused to sign the tender after not coming to agreement with the Texans on a long-term extension. This was among the rumored reasons Brian Gaine was fired. But why not make this move earlier to get back a bigger haul?

Playing checkers, or really bad chess

The Texans organization has a history of playing checkers, or really bad chess when it comes to making moves. This trade is no different. I said this over a year ago that they need to trade Clowney if they know they don't want to give into his potential contract demands. But what did they do instead? Sit on their thumbs and wait until the situation was a total cluster before they made a move. that's how you lose at chess and checkers.

Stubborness and ego

Bill O'Brien now holds the most power in the Texans buiding by anyone not named McNair. That's a scary proposition for Texans fans. His ego, stubborness, and feelings are going to drive this team into the ground. Where have I heard that before? Anyway, moving on. To say he's a spaghetti noodle over .500 for his career and has won a terrible division a couple times, he sure is full of himself. Those types of things lead to your downfall. While I didn't like the hokey aww shucks persona of Gary Kubiak or the robotic mannerisms of Dom Capers, O'Brien has rubbed me the wrong way on another level.

Waiting on the payoff

While Texans fans sit back and wonder when their team will actually be a legit contender, they'll have to do so in hopes it gets done before they waste more stars. DeAndre Hopkins and JJ Watt aren't going to be All-Pros forever. Deshaun Watson will be up for a massive contract extension soon. The window is closing and closing fast. Time waits for no man. Cal and Janice McNair may have some tough decisions coming soon, and I'm not talking about contract extensions. What do they do if this season is an abject failure? They need to take advantage of Andrew Luck retiring NOW! Moving one of the best young edge rushers for peanuts on the dollar is not a sign of going for it.

Fortunately the season is upon us. Fans no longer have to worry about when Clowney will report, or what shape will he be in, or if he'll return next year. He's gone now. Off to the land of Texans rejects in the great Northwest. This will be a turning point season in franchise history I believe. Either O'Brien will finally show off his "smarter than everyone else" mantle he's given himself with his actions, or the McNair's will clean house and start over from the ground up. I don't see this going any other way. Wait a minute...there's always historic precedence to consider. There's an extreme high probability they could go "9-7 and win the AFC South" again. To which I say to Texans fans: enjoy purgatory.

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Kyle Tucker returns to Houston this weekend. Composite Getty Image.

Two first-place teams, identical records, and a weekend set with serious measuring-stick energy.

The Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs open a three-game series Friday night at Daikin Park, in what could quietly be one of the more telling matchups of the summer. Both teams enter at 48-33, each atop their respective divisions — but trending in slightly different directions.

The Astros have been red-hot, going 7-3 over their last 10 while outscoring opponents by 11 runs. They've done it behind one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, with a collective 3.41 ERA that ranks second in the American League. Houston has also been dominant at home, where they’ve compiled a 30-13 record — a stat that looms large heading into this weekend.

On the other side, the Cubs have held their ground in the NL Central but have shown some recent shakiness. They're 5-5 over their last 10 games and have given up 5.66 runs per game over that stretch. Still, the offense remains dangerous, ranking fifth in on-base percentage across the majors. Kyle Tucker leads the way with a .287 average, 16 homers, and 49 RBIs, while Michael Busch has been hot of late, collecting 12 hits in his last 37 at-bats.

Friday’s pitching matchup features Houston’s Brandon Walter (0-1, 3.80 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) and Chicago’s Cade Horton (3-1, 3.73 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), a promising young arm making one of his biggest starts of the season on the road. Horton will have his hands full with Isaac Paredes, who’s slugged 16 homers on the year, and Mauricio Dubón, who’s found a groove with four home runs over his last 10 games.

It’s the first meeting of the season between these two clubs — and if the trends continue, it may not be the last time they cross paths when it really counts.

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -112, Cubs -107; over/under is 8 1/2 runs

Here's a preview of Joe Espada's Game 1 lineup.

The first thing that stands out is rookie Cam Smith is hitting cleanup, followed by Jake Meyers. Victor Caratini is the DH and is hitting sixth. Christian Walker is all the way down at seventh, followed by Yainer Diaz, and Taylor Trammell who is playing left field.

How the mighty have fallen.

Pretty wild to see Walker and Diaz hitting this low in the lineup. However, it's justified, based on performance. Walker is hitting a pathetic .214 and Diaz is slightly better sporting a .238 batting average.

Screenshot via: MLB.com



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