Atlanta Falcons matchup preview: Houston Texans

Nov 23, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson (80) during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

FB: What’s the best offseason move the Texans have made?

RG: Many fans won’t like my take, but the best move, even better than the solid top three draft picks was the release of receiver Andre Johnson. I understand what all he has done for the organization, but teams that continue to reward players for past performance rather than potential gains are usually watching the playoffs from home. Johnson has been on the decline and is no longer the threat he once was, as evidenced by the fact that youngster DeAndre Hopkins doubled Johnson in touchdown catches in 2014, six to three. In fact, defensive end J.J. Watt caught as many touchdowns as Andre last season.

The commitment to youth was due and it showed some solid forward thinking by head coach Bill O’Brien. And for those who say Johnson still has something in the tank, it is always best to move on a year too early than a year too late with a veteran player.

FB: What’s the worst move?

RG: Again, this may not be popular but the re-signing of cornerback Kareem Jackson was a real head scratcher to me. I truly believe a cornerback should be paid to intercept passes, and Jackson has ten in five seasons, and is only a year removed from a goose egg in that department.

Go down the list, Brandon Carr, Cortland Finegan, Nnamdi Asomugha… they all got huge deals and then massively underperformed. What’s the one thing they all have in common? They are called “cover corners” and they hardly intercept passes. Guess who is called a cover corner and averages two interceptions per year… yep, Kareem Jackson.

Next: Expectations