Source: Texans plan to cut Andre Johnson if he refuses pay cut

I know some have tried to villify AJ, more when he signed with the Colts. But I don't honestly think there's a bad guy here. They were honest, he was honest; the Texans gave him the opportunity to control his destiny via trade and ultimately full-control over his destiny. There really shouldn't be any hard feelings.

 

I think Andre was honest but maybe a little upset. I think the Texans were dishonest but smart and shrewd. The outcome is what it is. We might never know what really was said and people's motives. I just hope Andre doesn't hold a grudge long enough to discourage other players from coming to the Texans.

 

It seems fairly obvious Andre Johnson's been upset for awhile now. But what, exactly, were the Texans dishonest about?

 

Andre's seemed happy since he arrived at camp last off-season. He obviously had a discussion with management that made him happy.

I think they wanted to cut him or try to trade him but instead made their ridiculous statement to make him want to leave.

 

Happy?... Andre Johnson's performance last year, summed up by a quote

Didn't look happen - or, more tellingly, focused at all.

Why is it ridiculous? It does indeed sound like the plan is to not feature WR2, which is the role AJ would have been playing. How is telling a guy used to getting 150+ targets a year that he'll no longer be getting those targets ridiculous? Dishonest?

You need to separate "Andre Johnson" from the equation; he's WR2. BOB is not going to augment his system to accomodate an individual player (which provides some grounds for disagreement, I think - but, we're in an era where systems rule).

 

maybe not dishonest but certainly disingenuous to a certain or misleading . The whole we want him back, we want him to retire a texan, we don't want him to play anywhere else thing is probably what Nimo is/was referring to. They overplayed the "texan for life" card.

But look, reasonable people get it. This certainly wasn't a case of one side completely screwing the other over...both sides were playing the game in this breakup.

 

Unless we're planning for Graham and CJ to become the next Gronk/Hernandez, I don't see how Andre could possibly be limited to 40ish catches as WR2 here, let alone anywhere else in the NFL.

It was so, so stupid not to trade him last year.

 

I think he is being emotional. It's like saying you never loved your ex. If anything could have made him unhappy it would have been performing below expectations set for/by him.

You can't tell me that if the Patriots (or the Texans) had Calvin Johnson and ODB they would expect one of them to catch 40 balls because of the system. Worst case they try to trade one of them. Fact is, they didn't want him and found a way to get rid of him. It was smart, shrewd but I still think dishonest.

There are several teams that tried unsuccessfully to find players to fit their system or scheme. At some point, you've gotta get the best from the players you have.

 

him going from basically 90 catches (assuming he didn't miss the one game) to 40 is pretty ridiculous. You would literally have to purposely try and make him only get 40 catches.

 

Or just stop forcing passes to him and emphasize better options.

 

That sounds great to me...who are the better options, though?

 

And when I say that, you'd still have to give him 70 targets for him to come up with 40 receptions which is more than 4 targets a game. Also, who's to say they didn't give him a range like "40 to 60 receptions" and he just went public with the low number?

 

Good grief Bobby.

Let it go. Andre Johnson is not a scrub. He may not catch 90 balls in an appropriately schemed offense, but assuming health, there is no reason for him to catch 40 either. The whole "wouldn't even start" thing is absolute garbage as well.

He's still a quality player that can contribute. It's hard to take you seriously on anything when you get so ridiculous with your opinions and then act like a dog with a bone, refusing to ever let go.

 

Well DeAndre Hopkins is a much better target simply because he's the better player and depending on how the system works, TE's, slot guys, and Foster could end up being better options too if the system got them open.

 

Deyneverplayme Posey! Damariwho Johnson! CJ Fedora-witch! Gettingcut Graham!

 

How many targets do you think Andre should get per game?

 

I'll help you out, last season Andre was getting right at 10 targets per game and was on pace for a 90 catch season given a 16 game season. Our best receiver DeAndre Hopkins was getting about 8 targets per game, Foster was getting about 4.5, the TE spot was getting maybe 2, and the slot was getting maybe 3.

Going into next season if we gave the slot, the TE spot, and Deandre Hopkins more targets and took a few away from Andre Johnson....even if he only lost 4 targets a game to go other directions, he'd then be on pace for 55 receptions.

 

But it's not "Andre Johnson" going from 90 to 40; it's WR2 going from 90 to 40. I doubt Andre Johnson get the same # of looks as, say, DeVier Posey. But, generally, the idea is to shift the offensive focus in a significant way that likely would have led to a dramatic decrease in opportunities for WR2.

So far, we've only heard AJ's side; my guess - just a guess - is that the conversation was probably, "60-40 catches." And AJ, understandably, focused on "40." We're all married, right? Tell your wife tonight she needs to lose "5-10 pounds" - you're telling me that's not a definitively angry "10 pounds" by morning? That's a very human reaction, and not totally implausible.

 

My other suspicion is that the Texans never, ever told him that. (They've never confirmed it.) I think, as I suggested with how 60-40 catches might have morphed into 40, I'd be willing to bet he heard reduced role and made that jump to not starting (the only way he could fathom his catches dropping so dramatically). I just don't buy that he wouldn't be starting - do any of us think BOB is *that* stupid? If they really, truly told him that, then, yeah - this was all orchestrated in a manner to try and shove this in his lap.

But I just can't buy it. It's too ridiculous.

 

Except you want to get her mad at you or you're trying to get her to leave, you don't tell her that.