It’s seemed likely for some time that the Houston Texans would like to move out of the first overall pick in the draft, but now there is actually a big of evidence to back up that belief.
Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report learned at this week’s NFL annual meeting that the Texans are “trying hard” to move out of the first overall pick in an effort to get more picks in the draft. Also according to Pompei, the Bills appear to be a potential trading partner.
The Bills currently own the ninth overall pick in the draft, but they have plenty of holes to fill in their roster to move from the bottom end of the league into contention. Apparently, if the Bills are indeed considering making the move to trade up to the first overall pick, Buffalo has their eye on a player they believe will be able to catapult their team forward.
There are a few problems with moving up to the first overall pick for the Bills. First and foremost, it’ll be a steep cost to move up eight spots. By showing interest, the Bills, or any other team willing to deal with the Texans, Buffalo has already given the upper hand to the Texans. Houston doesn’t particularly want to be drafting first overall, but if they have to, it just means they’ll be taking the best overall player in the draft.
The Texans’ willingness to trade the top pick tells us something about their own draft strategy as well. Houston, who is need of a franchise quarterback, doesn’t covet any of the top prospects at the position. If they did, there’d be no reason for them to hide their intention to draft a quarterback with the first overall pick.
The Bills are also unlikely to be going after a quarterback if it’s their intention to make a deal with the Texans. Last year, Buffalo drafted a quarterback of their own, and there’s no reason to move on from E.J. Manuel after just one season.
So, is a trade for the top pick in the draft likely? Well, it may be more likely than you may think.
News of a potential trade actually helps the Texans in moving their first pick. By creating the perception of an imminent trade, the Texans may be able to create leverage for driving up the cost of trading the top pick. The Bills may be a big player in trading for that top overall selection, but you can bet they won’t be the only team involved in trade talks before a deal is done.
