Houston Texans make a sensible roster move after losing out on WR Deebo Samuel that could work out even better
The Houston Texans have acquired wide receiver Christian Kirk in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round draft pick. This follows the Washington Commanders' trade with the San Francisco 49ers for WR Deebo Samuel last week. Houston reportedly had heavy interest in Samuel, but obviously it didn't come to fruition. […]
The Houston Texans have acquired wide receiver Christian Kirk in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round draft pick.
This follows the Washington Commanders' trade with the San Francisco 49ers for WR Deebo Samuel last week. Houston reportedly had heavy interest in Samuel, but obviously it didn't come to fruition. However, Texans fans shouldn't feel disappointed about getting Kirk instead of Samuel.
Ever since Samuel had an All-Pro season in 2021, his production has taken a significant dip. He has not eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards since that year, and last season Samuel set a career-low in receptions (disregarding 2020 when he only appeared in seven games) and only registered three receiving touchdowns.
Since 2022, Kirk actually has more receiving yards (2,274) than Samuel (2,194) despite playing in six less games. While Samuel may be a bit more versatile as a pure playmaker, Kirk is a more polished route runner and is a true slot WR. That makes him a perfect complement to Nico Collins, who is a traditional X-receiver.
The Texans badly needed another legitimate pass catcher as Stefon Diggs is set to hit free agency and Tank Dell could miss the entire 2025 season after suffering a devastating knee injury last year. Kirk should be a natural in new offensive coordinator Nick Caley's system, who coached great slot WRs such as Cooper Kupp and Tutu Atwell last year with the Los Angeles Rams.
Another plus for Houston in this deal is that it only had to surrender a 2026 seventh-round pick, which is much more of a bargain compared to the 2025 fifth-round pick that Washington gave up for Samuel. The only real knock on Kirk is his struggles with injuries as of late, missing 14 games over the past two years. However, he was on pace for over 1,000 yards in '23 had he stayed healthy, and in '24 he averaged a career-high 14 yards per reception.