The Big Lead

Bill O'Brien Finally Discussed the DeAndre Hopkins Trade, Somehow Made Things Worse

By Ryan Phillips

Bill O'Brien leaves the field after the Houston Texans defeated the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round
Bill O'Brien leaves the field after the Houston Texans defeated the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round / Tim Warner/Getty Images
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Bill O'Brien publicly addressed the DeAndre Hopkins trade for the first time on Friday and in doing so he made things worse. The Houston Texans' coach should really just never speak of the deal again.

During a roundtable for Texans season ticket holders, O'Brien defended the decision to trade Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals. He said the franchise moved on from its best offensive weapon because, "he wanted a raise." O'Brien added that Houston couldn't have accommodated that request and was really excited to get running back David Johnson (who has a bloated contract) and draft picks (neither of which is a first-rounder).

Here's more from O'Brien:

""There's a lot of things that go into trades. Lot of thoughts that go in. How much are you going to take on contractually? How much does it take to buy that second-round pick, that No. 40 pick? What type of player are you bringing in? What type of player are you losing and what is in the best interest of the team?""

I'm not sure how trading one of the NFL's best receivers and not getting top-tier draft compensation in return is in the best interest of the team, but sure.

Texans CEO Cal McNair lauded O'Brien's work this offseason and believes the team has gotten better. Maybe, but Houston's receiving corps is demonstrably worse. The team's top wideouts are the perpetually injured Will Fuller, Kenny Stills and an aging, overpriced Randall Cobb. Who is Deshaun Watson supposed to throw to?

The Hopkins trade to the Cardinals was the worst the NFL has seen in a while. Especially considering the haul of picks the Minnesota Vikings got from the Buffalo Bills in exchange for Stefon Diggs. Oh, and to make things worse, the Texans don't have a first round pick in either of the next two drafts, so replacing Hopkins will be that much more difficult.

O'Brien should never have been allowed to take over the general manager role in Houston. And, frankly, he should be fired for how he's bungled the roster over the last 18 months.