Trade deadline keeps GM busy
Fuller’s injury creates need for receiver; Gaine might also be shopping for LB, CB
You can be sure Texans general manager Brian Gaine is working the phones trying to make a trade or two before the NFL deadline at 3 p.m. Tuesday.
This is Gaine’s first year as general manager, so he doesn’t have a track record at the trading deadline, but injuries and an attempt to improve a red-hot team that can win its division have caused him to look around the league to see who’s available.
Gaine is in charge of personnel and works closely with coach Bill O’Brien, who has led the Texans to a five-game winning streak, a 5-3 record and first place in the AFC South after an 0-3 start.
Injuries at receiver, inside linebacker and cornerback have created needs at those positions. The Texans prefer to elevate players on their roster, but they’ll also look around the league.
The most pressing need is wide receiver. Will Fuller was lost for the season with a torn ACL suffered late in Thursday night’s 42-23 victory over
Miami.
Surgery to repair Fuller’s torn ligament will put him on the same timetable as quarterback Deshaun Watson last season. Watson was healthy in August and ready for the start of the regular season.
According to reports, DeSean Jackson (Tampa Bay), Demaryius Thomas (Denver), DeVante Parker (Miami), Mohamed Sanu (Atlanta), Pierre Garcon (San Francisco) and Golden Tate (Detroit) are among the receivers who could be available. Cost measurement
Don’t expect Gaine to mortgage the future for a receiver someone is willing to part with, but he and O’Brien do want to upgrade the roster if the price is right.
The AFC South is winnable for the Texans, who finished 4-12 last season and host Tennessee, Indianapolis and Jacksonville at NRG Stadium over the second half of the season.
As O’Brien pointed out Friday, they’ll look internally and externally to try to replace injured players and improve the team.
That means considering trade options and seeing who’s available to sign off the street. The Texans also will look at promoting players from their practice squad.
“That’s one of the main jobs of, obviously, Brian, and then he brings things to me, and we communicate,” O’Brien said. “We explore everything, including our team.
“We look at our own team first in addition to looking at what’s going on outside. How can we use this guy in maybe another position? Or do this? Can we do that? We’ve got a lot of good players in that locker room. (With) Brian and his crew, we’re always trying to do what we think is best for the team.”
Whether Gaine can make a deal depends on what he’s willing to trade. The Texans have their draft choices and an extra pick in the second round because of last year’s trade with Seattle for offensive tackle Duane Brown.
There are a lot of factors that go into making deals, including how much money the player makes, how he fits under the salary cap, and how much he has remaining on his current contract.
Teams know the Texans need a replacement for Fuller, and they’ll try to fleece Gaine if they can. Outside of DeAndre Hopkins, their other wide receivers who are healthy — veteran Sammie Coates Jr. and undrafted rookie Vyncint Smith — have combined for two catches.
Keke Coutee is out with another hamstring injury. Bruce Ellington is on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
Fuller, who missed one game this season before tearing his ACL, is valuable for different reasons. His outstanding speed means a safety always has to beware of his getting open deep, as he did against the Dolphins on a 73-yard touchdown pass from Watson.
Obviously, the Texans will miss Fuller, who had 32 catches for 503 yards (15.7 average) and four touchdowns. He has developed a great rapport with Watson. In their 11 games together, Fuller has caught 11 touchdown passes.
Without Fuller, defenses can focus almost all of their attention on Hopkins, who has 53 catches for 789 yards (14.9 average) and six touchdowns.
It’s not just receiver that’s suffering. Injuries have created problems at other positions, too. Cornerbacks keep falling
Cornerback Johnathan Joseph suffered ankle and knee injuries against Miami and will miss the Denver game. Because the Texans have their open date after the Broncos, he might be able to return for the Washington game on Nov. 18.
Joseph is the fifth cornerback the Texans lost in the first eight games. He followed Kevin Johnson, Aaron Colvin, Kayvon Webster and Shareece Wright to the sideline.
At least the Texans have safeties who can play cornerback, such as Kareem Jackson and Natrell Jamerson. Against the Dolphins, they were playing five safeties in nickel situations once Joseph went down.
Inside linebacker is another serious problem. Zach Cunningham, the Texans’ leading tackler, is out with a knee injury that will sideline him for the Denver game at the least. Dylan Cole and Brian Peters were already injured.
After Cunningham left the Miami game, Benardrick McKinney was joined by Josh Keyes, who was part of the last roster reduction to 53 before the first game of the season. He was signed last week and had to get ready for a Thursday night game and contributed two big plays in what was a remarkable performance.
The versatility of the defensive players — not to mention a terrific job by the coaches — is one reason the Texans have continued to win despite injury issues.
It’s going to be interesting to see what happens to the roster as the Texans get closer to the trade deadline.