It looks like a recent mover on the trade market had some major interest in the Houston Texans before ultimately finding another home elsewhere.
According to ESPN insider Brady Henderson, recently traded wide receiver DK Metcalf had interest in joining the Texans as one of his two initially preferred destinations, along with the Los Angeles Chargers, but in the end, ultimately got dealt to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"Metcalf's preferred landing spots, according to multiple sources familiar with the trade talks, were the Texans and Chargers," Henderson wrote. "But his contract situation complicated the matter, as it meant the Seahawks had to find a trade partner that would not only give them enough compensation in return but also be willing and able to sign Metcalf to a new deal."
Following the Texans' developing need at wide receiver entering this offseason with Stefon Diggs leaving and Tank Dell injured, Metcalf's services made a ton of sense as a big, deep-ball target to pair with C.J. Stroud as a spark on the offensive end.
Yet, to make such a deal come to form, it had to make sense financially. And for the Texans, making the money situation reasonably work out was where the issues began to arise.
When combining the massive money tied up on the roster tanks to Nico Collins' contract, Derek Stingley's historic deal paid out this offseason, the Christian Kirk acquisition, etc., there was simply too many moving parts and funds wrapped up in the receiver room already, that investing into the position once again didn't make a ton of sense on paper.
As a result, Metcalf became a Steeler, signing his aspired four-year $132 million deal in Pittsburgh. Perhaps the best result for the Seattle Seahawks in their pursuit of shipping off their star pass catcher, landing the 52nd-overall pick for this year's draft in exchange for his services.
The pairing of Stroud and Metcalf would've inevitably been a fun one to watch for next season and onwards, but when taking a step back to look at the state of Houston's roster this offseason, using that cap and draft capital used on the star wideout could be better utilized elsewhere.
Clearly, Nick Caserio and the Texans' front office recognized that too, effectively pivoting to work on other needs and position groups for the season ahead. It's always a tough call to pass on a talent like Metcalf, but time will tell if the bold decision pays off.
