Oakland Raiders rumored to be pursuing a trade for Andre Johnson

Dec 22, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson (80) makes a reception during the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

In the calm before the storm, a rumor has surfaced due to Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson’s unrest.  The rumor is that Oakland Raiders General Manager Reggie McKenzie has been actively pursuing a trade with the Houston Texans for Andre Johnson.  Now, I’m not going to speculate or even say that I believe the truth of this rumor, but the rumor itself came from NFL Insider Ian Rapoport.  Still, a more recent report from Chris Wessling on Around The League says there is no way that the Texans will trade Johnson away.

Given the NFL’s propensity for playing shadow games and spreading misinformation, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if this is just another way of keeping the truth about any deal from surfacing before it’s completed.  If there’s a deal at all.  I like the idea though.

Could you imagine the Oakland Raiders obtaining Andre Johnson?  Put him in the mix with James Jones, Rod Streater, Denarius Moore, Andre Holmes, Brice Butler, etc…, and the WR corps would immediately be feared.  Let’s not forget the fact that Johnson and QB Matt Schaub already have chemistry.

Then again, a WR currently on the Raiders roster could be used as a trade enticement too.  A younger WR (younger than Johnson) coupled with a 2nd round draft pick or even a 3rd round draft pick might do the trick.  Though, Andre Johnson would come with a hefty price tag.  His salary for 2014 is somewhere between $10 to $12 million dollars, plus the team that picks him up would suffer the cap hit in 2015.  Furthermore, the Texans have created a bunch of dead money by restructuring Johnson’s contract in 2013 in order to sign LB Brian Cushing to an extension.  This means they aren’t going to part with Johnson lightly.

I’d be pleasantly surprised if the Raiders could pick up a Pro-Bowl calibre and future Hall of Fame WR in Andre Johnson, but it’s more like a wish list type of reality.  If McKenzie could pull it off, that would definitely be something, but I won’t get my hopes up.  Let me know what you think about Andre Johnson joining the Raiders.