5 teams that did the worst in NFL free agency

1. Houston Texans

There may not be an organization in football right now that is better at sabotaging itself than the Houston Texans. After going all-in for 2019 by dealing a boatload of draft choices for guys like Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills, head coach/GM Bill O’Brien realized he was in need of draft picks.

DeAndre Hopkins, one of the best receivers in football, wanted a new contract so instead of paying the 28-year-old star O’Brien dumped him for the first offer he got. That trade netted a second-round pick and David Johnson, who has been in a steady decline for the past two years, and the deal looked more foolish later when the Minnesota Vikings got four draft picks from the Buffalo Bills for Stefon Diggs.

As if one bad deal wasn’t enough, O’Brien doubled down on the stupid in free agency, overpaying for marginal players to fill roster spots. First up was a three-year deal worth $27 million for Randall Cobb, a slot receiver who hasn’t been super productive since leaving Green Bay.

Cobb’s deal contains over $18 million in guaranteed money, which is insanity for a 30-year old who hasn’t caught more than 66 passes in a season since 2015. The Texans also paid free safety Eric Murray a tad over $20 million for three years, handsomely rewarding a player who hasn’t been a difference-maker in Cleveland or Kansas City.

The Texans have actively made themselves worse so far in free agency, and O’Brien couldn’t even extract proper value for one of the best receivers in football in his prime. That is a flop of epic proportions and explains a lot as to why the Texans are the biggest losers in free agency so far.