Texans could get last laugh on trade if David Johnson wins NFL Comeback Player of the Year

Good luck finding a single impartial NFL expert who thought the Houston Texans got the better of the March trade in which Houston sent one of the league's top three receivers in DeAndre Hopkins and a fourth-round 2020 draft pick to the Arizona Cardinals for vastly overpaid running back David Johnson, a second-round pick in April's draft and a 2021 fourth-rounder. Perhaps Houston would save a little face if Johnson won NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors. He's a +4000 longer shot on the moneyline odds at William Hill sportsbook.

Yes, the Texans did need running back help after losing both Carlos Hyde (signed with Seattle) and Lamar Miller (hasn't signed yet) to free agency. However, it has been proven that finding a running back in the later rounds of the draft isn't that hard to do (Johnson himself was the No. 86 overall pick in 2015 out of Northern Iowa), and Houston took on the three-year, $39 million contract that Johnson signed with Arizona in 2018. He has a cap hit of $11.1 million this year and $9 million next year.

 "The contract is what it is. There is definitely money that he'll be paid, but when we look at what David adds, he's worth it," Houston coach/GM Bill O'Brien said recently. "He's tough and smart and a three-down back who can be used with Duke Johnson."

Johnson was a superstar in 2016 when he rushed for 1,239 yards and 16 touchdowns while catching 80 balls for 879 yards and four scores. However, he has never approached those numbers again (totaling just 2,191 yards and 16 touchdowns combined in the three seasons since), has had trouble staying healthy and lost his job to Kenyan Drake on the 2019 Cardinals.

No member of the Texans has won Comeback Player of the Year. Meanwhile, Johnson is also +3300 at William Hill to lead the NFL in rushing yards. The last Texans back to do so was Arian Foster with 1,616 yards in 2010. Expect O'Brien to ride Johnson hard simply to try and help justify that lopsided trade.

Johnson's Texans debut is scheduled to be in the Kickoff Game on Sept. 10 at Kansas City, which is -10 on the NFL odds. 

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