Five potential trade destinations for Andre Johnson and the Texans

Andre Johnson hasn’t shied away from voicing his frustration regarding the direction the Houston Texans are heading in. The team still lacks a reliable veteran quarterback and didn’t draft one until Round 4, and Johnson, who hasn’t been present during offseason workouts, told the Houston Chronicle last week that “this offseason has been very frustrating for me.”

If Johnson wants out and the Texans actually reach a point at which they’re willing to part with the 32-year-old seven-time Pro Bowler, there’ll certainly be plenty of potential suitors. That might not happen this offseason, since Johnson is slated to make only $6.5 million in 2014 and the two sides say they’ve been communicating, but in February, nobody expected DeSean Jackson to be a member of the Redskins right now.

This league is unpredictable, and the right offer could compel Houston to pull the trigger and start thinking younger.

If that happens, we’ve got a few trade candidates in mind.

1. New England Patriots: They always top lists like these because they always seem to be willing to give veterans a shot at redemption. Plus, the Pats truly need help at the wide receiver position, and Johnson has a few good years left in him. I’m sure this would be a temptation, because it makes a hell of a lot of sense.

2. Cleveland Browns: Josh Gordon will likely be facing a long suspension, and there’s no telling whether they can rely on him beyond that. Johnson has the ability to step in and replace Gordon right away, and the two could become one hell of a combo beyond that.

3. Cincinnati Bengals: They’ve got the space at that A.J. Green-Andre Johnson might finally help get Andy Dalton and that offense over the top. Plus, they also like to invest in veterans like this.

4. Indianapolis Colts: A bit of a wild card, but they can afford him and it would be interesting to see what he’d be able to do for Andrew Luck. Problem is it’s very unlikely they’d trade him within the division.

5. Oakland Raiders: Because they’re the Raiders. But also because they could use a receiver like that and they have the cap space. But mainly because they’re the Raiders.

About Brad Gagnon

Brad Gagnon has been passionate about both sports and mass media since he was in diapers -- a passion that won't die until he's in them again. Based in Toronto, he's worked as a national NFL blog editor at theScore.com (covering Super Bowls XLIV, XLV and XLVI), a producer and writer at theScore Television Network and a host, reporter and play-by-play voice at Rogers TV. His work has also appeared at Deadspin, FoxSports.com, The Guardian, The Hockey News and elsewhere at Bloguin, but his day gig has him covering all things NFC East for Bleacher Report.

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