The Houston Texans got the win on Sunday — in a 27-24 thriller over the Oakland Raiders — but they also lost. In defeating Jon Gruden’s Vegas-bound squad, defensive end J.J. Watt suffered a torn pectoral muscle. He is out for the season.
Naturally, this leads us to the Oct. 29 trade deadline. Though the Texans are running low on draft picks, they have remained aggressive in the trade market with coach Bill O’Brien acting as general manager. If they want to continue to be sharks on the phone lines, these four trades make sense.
Solomon Thomas
Coming out of Stanford, Solomon Thomas was praised as a sure thing as an NFL defensive end. That led to the San Francisco 49ers selecting him at No. 3 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. It turns out the 6-foot-3, 280-pound Chicago native hasn’t done much in the NFL.
Thomas is a bit of a tweener, especially in San Francisco’s 4-3 system. He isn’t lengthy or explosive enough to be a pass rusher, nor is he big enough to be an interior rusher. That has resulted in six career sacks, 15 tackles for loss and 20 quarterback hits.
However, Romeo Crennel and Co. could get something out of him, as he may fit well in their hybrid 3-4 front. The 49ers should be interested in trading him to recoup recently traded draft picks and to shed his $8.9 million in 2020 guaranteed money. For Houston, that means he shouldn’t be too expensive.
Derek Wolfe
The Denver Broncos are 2-5. They began blowing it up last week by trading Emmanuel Sanders trade to San Francisco. They are expected to continue doing so, and Wolfe and cornerback Chris Harris should be available because they are veterans at the end of their contracts.
Wolfe should be the Texans’ target. At 6-5, 284 pounds, he has the size to adequately fill in on a 3-4 front. He also has the experience and production, along with a selfless — but nasty — playing style.
Over his seven-year career, Wolfe has 288 combined tackles, 28 sacks, 42 tackles for loss and 69 quarterback hits. He’s not a game-changer and won’t be a No. 1 pass rusher, but he’s a strong presence down low and brings attitude to a defense. Houston may be able to get him for a mid-round pick.
Leonard Williams
It’s widely known that Williams is available. The New York Jets, at 1-6, appear to be ridding themselves of talent to get ready for the future. Expect him to find a new home by the Oct. 29 deadline.
A 25-year-old former No. 6 overall pick (2015) with a Pro Bowl resume rarely becomes available. However, that’s exactly what Williams is. With him struggling in Gregg Williams’ offense — with the lack of stats to show for it — the Jets see him expendable, especially with him being on a contract year.
Williams isn’t a player that will light highlight reels ablaze. He’s a more traditional 3-4, run-stuffing lineman who can push the pile. Houston could use that. The only problem: He may be out of their price range if he warrants a second-round selection (or more).
Carlos Dunlap
This is a reach. Dunlap is considered to be a franchise player for the Cincinnati Bengals. Their brass is reportedly adamant that they will not be sellers at the trade deadline. However, if, somehow, they do make him available, the Texans should jump all over it.
Though Dunlap’s production is down in 2019 (one sack, four tackles for loss and three quarterback hits in five games), he is the best pass-rushing defensive end on this list. He has 73.5 sacks and 205 quarterback hits in 139 career games. Measuring in at 6-6 and 285 pounds, he could fit in nicely in a 3-4 despite playing in more 4-3 schemes throughout his career.
Houston would likely have to give up a second-round selection to pry Dunlap out of Cincinnati’s hands. He’s a good player and under contract through 2022. However, the Texans may just have to bite the bullet and mortgage their future if they are serious about contending.
Nonetheless, his name on this list is more of a dream.
