Bleacher Report Says This Trade Makes No Sense For The Houston Texans

One of the least impressive positions on the Houston Texans’ 2024 roster is defensive tackle. This position is filled with prospects, transfers, and underperforming veterans. All of these players are hoping to come together and form a unit capable enough to meet the expectations of a much-improved defense. That’s the hope; we have no idea what the expectations are.

While the first preseason games are still days away, some, including ourselves, are still hoping that the Texans will sign a big contract or an even bigger trade to bring in a defensive tackle whose reputation is worth getting excited about. We know that there are players who are or will be available who can help the Texans’ interior defense, but it doesn’t seem like anyone is making any moves to improve things.

Bleacher Report wanted to help out, it seems. They offered a player to trade with each NFL team and it turns out the player they had in mind for the Texans isn’t who they thought. That player is current Washington Commanders defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis.

Mathis is a former second-round pick who has been hampered by injuries and poor performances, which suggests an uncertain future for the big man. The term “potential” isn’t directly used in the Bleacher Report article, but that’s the whole point of the trade: he has upside. Unfortunately, we’re done with potential and upside for underperformers. The Houston Texans aren’t trying to be good, they’re trying to be great.

Trading for a guy like Mathis makes no sense. He’s not good enough to be a starter for the Commanders and he’s been so unimpressive that the Commanders have already drafted another defensive tackle in 2024 to replace Mathis. They have no confidence in him, why should anyone else?

It’s clear he’s not performing well enough in practice to get reps, and that’s saying something, because the Commanders were arguably the worst defense in the NFL last season. We don’t know how giving the Texans the worst player on the worst defense is going to improve Houston, but if it’s that complicated to figure out, we don’t want it to be.

The Texans don’t need mediocre young players to fill out a roster. They’re not the Commanders.