Report: Head coach Bill O’Brien made call for Texans on Duke Johnson trade

The Houston Texans surprised many Thursday morning by making a trade with the Cleveland Browns for running back Duke Johnson.

Houston is currently without a general manager, and reportedly head coach Bill O’Brien is the man who made the call on this decision, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.

The Duke Johnson trade was done by #Browns GM John Dorsey and #Texans coach Bill O’Brien, I’m told. Without a GM, Houston has several qualified personnel people assuming different roles, but it was O’Brien on the phone with Dorsey.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 8, 2019

It’s an interesting dynamic, and one not unlike what we saw in New York following the Jets’ decision to fire general manager Mike Maccagnan.

However, unlike that situation, Houston is not expected to hire a general manager at all this year. Instead, the Texans are utilizing a group approach, which may or may not work out well in the long run.

Clearly, O’Brien wanted Johnson on his team and had the permission from ownership to make this decision.

Yet it’s hard not to wonder if a trade for a player who can actually block for Deshaun Watson wasn’t a better target than another offensive playmaker.