The Houston Texans made several significant free agency acquisitions last week, solidifying their status as a legitimate contender this offseason. However, their trade agreement to acquire running back Joe Mixon from the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for a seventh-round pick was one of their major moves.
After that, the Texans signed Mixon to a three-year, $27 million agreement with a $13 million guarantee, thereby acquiring one of the finest backs in the NFL and meeting one of their major needs at a lower cost than thirteen other players at the position. The 33rd Team, however, claims that the relocation was anything but a foregone conclusion.
Why? According to the outlet, it was because the Texans apparently could have found better and cheaper options without sacrificing draft capital. “One of the biggest head-scratching moves of the week was the Houston Texans trading (Mixon) after it came out the Bengals planned on releasing him,” The 33rd Team wrote.
“Houston had a hole at running back after losing Devin Singletary to the New York Giants earlier in the week, but the decision to trade and pay Mixon the 12th-highest running back contract heading into age 28 was an interesting one to say the least.
” On paper, sure, the idea of sending a pick away for a player who was about to be released could be considered questionable. That said, The 33rd Team seems to have not taken multiple factors into account in this criticism. Most importantly, the Texans had already lost out on their top running back target, Saquon Barkley. Devin Singletary was also gone, and other top names like Josh Jacobs, D’Andre Swift, Derrick Henry Tony Pollard, and Austin Ekeler were also on their way elsewhere.
