Travis Johnson on the Trading Block [Sent to Chargers for 6th, poss. 5th w/play time]

[Keith]

According to a former Browns and Ravens scout who tweets as @MovetheSticks on Twitter, "the Texans are actively shopping Travis Johnson".

err... okay, but after the Saints debacle, I thought we might actually need this guy this season. I wonder what the asking price would be on Travis. He was a first round pick in a somewhat soft draft class for elite defensive tackles. He is still just 27, kinda young (though not Amobinfantile of course).

I'm not sure whether he markets better to a 3-4 or a 4-3 team honestly. I pegged him as a 4-3 guy myself, but I wonder if Dom Capers in Green Bay or someone else with a 3-4 might be interested, too.

[kravix]

I dont see many teams looking into this very heavily, mostly becuase he is comming off surgery.

I wonder what they are looking to get in return? Another DT or CB are the only spots I can really see the Texans shopping for. Perhaps TJ and one of our recievers could net a better DT.

I also never understood why he was drafted to play NT in a 3-4, he is barely big enough to play NT in a 4-3.

[Keith]

He is more of an end in a 3-4 imo.

I tried asking Daniel what the market was for Travis. His latest post on the subject only says: "I don't see the Texans getting a whole lot in return for Travis Johnson. Out of shape, lazy and non-aggressive."

Well, yeah. If he wasn't those things, he wouldn't be on the trading block.

So either someone out there has to know and like him, or the Texans are getting very little in return for him. I think I'd rather keep him, warts and all, at this point. But maybe Shaun Cody has made him irrelevant and the extra roster spot at DT just isn't available.

[nero THE zero]

He's the type of player I could see NE taking and turning into a legitimate rotation player (like they did with Gaffney.)

He's not exactly a bust, he just never lived up to his draft status. If he could find a spot on a winning team, preferably a 3-4 team, I think he could be a valuable addition. I also like your suggestion of GB with the Dom Capers and 3-4 connections. Either place would be a good spot for him.

I wonder if we're looking for a pick or a player in return. If it's a player, I would love to get a beefy NT or a RB.

Travis Johnson for Laurence Maroney, anyone?

[bckey]

It's too bad Charlie Casserly isn't employed as GM somewhere in the NFL.

[nunusguy]

TJ is a 3-technique 4-3 DT, in the same general category as Okoye & Cody.
That's one of the reasons a lot of people were wondering why the hell Capers
wanted him drafted to play in his 3-4 ?
I dunno why we'd be shopping him now though, since we're so desperate at
DT and he along with DeLuan R. might be our best 2 DTs I'm sorry to say.

[NickO]

i'd be pissed off if the texans weren't actively shopping him.

gimme a 4th and call it done...on your bike TJ!

[painekiller]

He is more of an end in a 3-4 imo.



That is how I see him. A Gary Walker type 3-4 DE. Or a 4-3 UnderTackle, oh wait that is Okoya's crowned starting spot.

Poor Travis has been out of position since we took him.

[coloradodude]

And how will this end? We'll just cut him.

[HPF Bob]

And how will this end? We'll just cut him.

Likely. I'd be offering him to KC and Denver since their 3-4 conversions are not going very well and they have a surplus of 4-3 players who aren't 3-4 bodies.

[nunusguy]

Likely. I'd be offering him to KC and Denver since their 3-4 conversions are not going very well and they have a surplus of 4-3 players who aren't 3-4 bodies.
When you mention KC and its conversion to the 3-4, I can't help but think of the former great LSU 4-3 DT, Glenn Dorsey. And he was a great player at LSU, which of course is in the college conference which is the closet thing to the NFL. Most rated him the best defensive player in that conference not just one but the last two years he was there.
Well he's not doing very good at KC (and even had a disappointing rookie season at KC in their 4-3 according to reports I've seen), man I'd like to give him a shot here considering how badly we need help at DT. But that's probably just wishful thinking on my part knowing how expensive he'd be with that big 5th overall draft-pick contract he's packing ?

[Keith]

gimme a 4th and call it done...on your bike TJ!Speculating here, but I think a 4th is a pipe dream unless we bundle Travis with Jacoby Jones and ship 'em both to the Jets.

[HPF Bob]

texans shopping DT travis johnson (http://www.orangemane.com/BB/showthread.php?t=83477)

Broncos message board for your possible amusement.

[NBT]

My feeling is that if the Texans really don't plan to carry him on the 53 man roster, there will be some team come a calling for his services.

[cland]

It's done, Travis Johnson is traded to the Chargers. Terms are still undisclosed.

[Mike]

Here is the link

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/fb/texansfront/6595265.html


That makes one less person we need to cut. Crappy return on investment.

[cland]

Too bad Casserly hasn't been rehired, the price would have been a 2nd and 3rd.

[Nconroe]

Does seem a little low of a return, guess they were tired of the ongoing injuries.

[nunusguy]

"The Texans dealt Johnson for a conditional draft choice that could be a fifth- or sixth-round pick, depending on his performance."
*********************************
That's disappointing, actually depressing that the best case scenario nets us a 5th round pick.
We'll that's the end of a big mistake from the Casserly-Capers era, lets just hope that we don't see a similar ending in the the Smith-Kubiak era to the Amobi Okoye experiment ?
BTW, I'm surprised that TJ ends up in a defense like the one he started out in here in Houston ? Most everything I'd read about TJ was that he was a
one-gap 4-3 DT ?

[papabear]

Does seem a little low of a return, guess they were tired of the ongoing injuries.

I think it had more to do with his average at best play. I think that's probably about all you can expect to get for a run of the mill DT. Draft position doesn't mean a thing after a few years in the league.

I'm sure there will be a lot of rejoicing about Travis Johnson being gone, but if he's really been hampered by an undiagnosed sports hernia for the last few years we could end up regretting this down the road if he goes from below average to above average....I've course I thought the Rockets would miss Rafer when they sent him packing and was completely wrong there so we're probably good.

I guess this proves me wrong about the Texans FO liking him more than the fans do though.

[HPF Bob]

So, really, we traded TJ for Cletis Gordon if you want to look at it that way. Except we may get a draft pick if TJ plays well and we don't owe the Chargers anything for Gordon.

[painekiller]

Player with mileage do not garner much in this league. Add to that a DT who has not been more than average.

I think TJ can be a DE in the 3-4 and he might be able to help the Chargers. Good luck to him.

It was not his fault the fans never warmed up to him. They wanted Derrick Johnson and they never gave Travis a chance.

[kravix]

All i can say is meh. TJ for a 5th. Considering this was a contract year, and he could have possibly been playing on a sports hernia for the last few years it is possible he may have played alot better than he has been. Ive always been part of the minorty TJ fan club.

The FO must be in love with Deljuan\Cody\Okam\Amobi atm or looking to pull another trade for a DT soon. I have this sick sick feeling in my gut that we are going to look like the Colts this year, against the run, and alot worse against the pass.

[NBT]

Out of shape, lazy, and non-aggressive. Based on that it's lucky we got anything out of him. The fact that Caserly traded down in the 2005 draft for an extra 3rd, and then used the #1 on TJ doesn't mean a thing in todays market. It's better than outright cutting him which is what we would of had to do.

[Joe Joe]

They wanted Derrick Johnson and they never gave Travis a chance.

TJ had chances. He was not worth the 16th pick.

[painekiller]

TJ had chances. He was not worth the 16th pick.

And who was? Jamaal Brown? Then you would not have Winston today, and Brown was considered a reach at the time. They where wrong, but he was considered a reach.

Other than Aaron Rogers, most of that whole 2nd half of the 1st is a bust. So admit the draft had no one worthy of the round. Which is why no one was willing to trade down.

[Joe Joe]

And who was? Jamaal Brown?


Are you saying TJ's performance was worth the 16th pick? All I'm saying is TJ did not perform to the expectations of the 16th pick. Saying who they should have picked after seeing the results isn't something I can do honestly.

You make it sound like TJ performed up to the standards of the 16th pick and that the only reason fans don't like him is because they wanted DJ instead. Fans didn't like him because the Texans can't stop the run despite teams having trouble running at Mario. With two first round defensive tackles, fans expect more. Amobi is on thin ice with fans too.

[barrett]

Are you saying TJ's performance was worth the 16th pick? All I'm saying is TJ did not perform to the expectations of the 16th pick. Saying who they should have picked after seeing the results isn't something I can do honestly.

You make it sound like TJ performed up to the standards of the 16th pick and that the only reason fans don't like him is because they wanted DJ instead. Fans didn't like him because the Texans can't stop the run despite teams having trouble running at Mario. With two first round defensive tackles, fans expect more. Amobi is on thin ice with fans too.

It stopped mattering if he was worth the 16th pick the day after they drafted him.

All that mattered right now is if he was one of our best DTs. He certainly played the run better than anyone else and we gave away a player at a position of weakness right before the season for a pick we won't get use out of for 12 months.

I don't really understand that.

[Joe Joe]

I don't see him playing the run better than everyone else and I don't see him as significantly better than the other DTs. And it does matter after the draft that he was drafted 16th as he was paid as a guy that was drafted 16th.

I don't see it as personel against TJ. My frustrations are more focused on the management that picked him.

My initial comment in this thread was more on the fans not warming up to him because they wanted DJ. I'm not a fan of TJ's because he never gave me anything to be cheerful about. Well unless you count that he doesn't quite play as bad as the guys the Texans picked up off the street for millions less.

[NBT]

You can't play the run if you can't stay on the field. TJ was always nicked up, or in some kind of controversy.

[painekiller]

Are you saying TJ's performance was worth the 16th pick? All I'm saying is TJ did not perform to the expectations of the 16th pick. Saying who they should have picked after seeing the results isn't something I can do honestly.

You make it sound like TJ performed up to the standards of the 16th pick and that the only reason fans don't like him is because they wanted DJ instead. Fans didn't like him because the Texans can't stop the run despite teams having trouble running at Mario. With two first round defensive tackles, fans expect more. Amobi is on thin ice with fans too.

I am saying very few cherries can be picked from that draft. Few player would have made us happy as fans. And only a handful from the that draft are considered worth their draft status.