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Bill O’Brien and Randall Cobb shed light on the 2020 Texans’ misery

Theo

I’m not sure why this is happening, it’s probably a coincidence, but in the last week there have been three different podcasts where the guest was a Texas player or coach from the horrible 2020 season , and all three were perfectly content to talk about said season. As someone who works in the content generation and consumption industries, this is what I’m here for!

The three people in question are running back David Johnson (appeared on Kay Adams’ “Up and Adams” podcast), wide receiver Randall Cobb (appeared on the “Bussin’ With the Boys” podcast) and former coach -chef and general manager Bill O’. Brien (appeared on the “Next Up” podcast). All three were critical figures (for O’Brien, “critical” is probably a huge understatement) in the Texans’ fall from playoff team to laughing stock.

We won’t spend too much time on Johnson, who has been an abject disappointment, but not unexpected (for anyone except O’Brien), as Johnson hadn’t played good football since the 2016 season, when the Texans l ‘acquired in a trade for All Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Most of Johnson’s talk about the Texans has focused on his unhappiness since arriving here, especially when the season began with an 0-4 start.

Let’s get to the good stuff! O’Brien was asked during his podcast appearance about the possibility of becoming general manager of the Texans:

When he says “I didn’t really like being a general manager” and “I didn’t really like negotiating contracts”, I guess the main reason was that he was bad at doing both. Certainly, trading Hopkins for the paltry sum the Texans received is a sign of poor overall management skills, and there was no contract offered by O’Brien that wasn’t an overpayment. When you hate doing something, you try to do it as little time as possible, and every salary O’Brien handed out seemed to indicate that of a general manager who just wanted to get the negotiation over with.

One of those overpriced contracts O’Brien gave in free agency was actually to Cobb, who received a three-year, $27 million contract, which I’m guessing was several million more than what any team was offering him at the time. The day he signed the contract, I guess Cobb liked Bill O’Brien. However, that might have been the ONLY day he loved her. Listen :

I’m having a hard time mustering any sympathy for Cobb, who cited the Hopkins trade, which Cobb said happened while he was negotiating to become a Texan, as a “red flag” for failure future of the O’Brien era. This trade took place on March 16, 2020. Cobb signed his deal on April 1, 2020. So man, you still chose to come to Houston, despite the “red flags.” You got the money back, which is good, but don’t worry like you’re blindsided or something.

If we are indeed launching into a period where former Texans from the dark ages of 2020 and 2021 are speaking out, I’m totally here for it, but let’s start talking about Jack Easterby, guys. Let’s get to the REALLY juicy stuff, shall we?

Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6-10 a.m. weekdays. Also follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/SeanTPendergaston Instagram at instagram.com/sean.pendergast, and like him on Facebook at facebook.com/SeanTPendergast.

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