I’m not even sure I understood JJ Watt’s comments. And of course nobody in the media dared to ask him to clarify what he meant. What qualifies as a “rebuild” in his eyes? The coaching staff will be rebuilt. Some players with bloated contracts might be ushered out under a new regime, and it’s not an impossibility that Watt is one of those players. John Crumpler has a rather in-depth look at this topic.
Can the Texans convince J.J. Watt and coaching candidates Houston isn’t a rebuild?
By John Crumpler, TexansWire
Excerpt: It’s worth noting that Watt is under contract until 2022. Houston’s star defensive end could not simply up and walk away should he decide the Texans are a poor fit for him to finish his playing career. However, it’s hard to see the team saying no should Watt respectfully request a trade after doing so much for both the organization and the city during his 10-year tenure.
By the time the team may consider moving Watt to a “non-rebuild” team in March, the team will most likely have made a hiring at both coach and general manager. The quality of these two candidates Houston will acquire may be strongly dictated by how they are able to perform through the softer second-half of their schedule.
Watt is a competitor and there’s no reason to doubt his genuine desire to win a Super Bowl before he hangs up the cleats. The onus is now on Houston to prove they can still give him that opportunity. A new, top head-coaching candidate combined with a strong finish to 2020 may be the only avenue towards making that argument.
News coverage will focus on potential trades to acquire draft capital and possible free agency moves within the confines of the (certainly adjusted) 2021 salary cap. That is the way for teams that have (virtually) eliminated themselves from playoff contention by the season’s midway point. However, don’t forget that this season’s conclusion will certainly have massive repercussions on what kind of ‘rebuild’ the Texans will be in 2021. The difference between 4-12 and 7-9 may serve as drastically different signals to Watt and other players on what the team’s ceiling could be with a new head coach.
Fans, relish Watson’s undeniable progression this season. Enjoy the resurgence of Cooks and the elevation of Fuller toward an alpha-level receiver. Don’t close your eyes when Phillip Gaines and Vernon Hargreaves allow yet another reception to an average receiver. Maybe these games don’t matter, but their outcome certainly might.