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JJ has asked to be released

76Texan

Hall of Fame
The money isn't the real issue.
For a player with just a year left on the contract like J J Watt, restructuring a new deal will work for both sides.
Getting released early; however, is better for JJ as he can choose any team he wants and start negotiation early.
The later he waits, the less availability there is and the less money the teams will have.
 

Speedy

Former Yeller Dweller
I appreciate JJ, but the fact is he is not a $17.5M player. The only teams willing to over pay him like that are the ones that have no business doing so.

I'd say his high end is $12M/yr, low end $8M.
I think if he had some help, which he had none of here, he could easily be a double digit sack guy again. Provided he stays healthy, which is the biggest risk for whoever he goes to.
 

Double Barrel

Texans Talk Admin
Staff member
Contributor's Club
The last thing this front office needs is for JJ Watt to start chirping on national sports shows about the dysfunction on Kirby Drive.

I would not doubt if this concern was part of the overall decision making process. A late round pick is not worth the blowback of JJ ridiculing Cal & Jack.

Now they've "done right" in the eyes of JJ and he probably says nothing but good, happy thoughts about the Texans.
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
I think if he had some help, which he had none of here, he could easily be a double digit sack guy again. Provided he stays healthy, which is the biggest risk for whoever he goes to.
Absolutely agree. With help he'll be a featured player again. I think his injury days are behind him. At least I hope so. I hope he goes to a team he can play 80-85% of the snaps.

99% is too much for anyone, even moreso at his age.
 

banned1976

sleeper mode
I was thinking, the Texans could have been villainous and traded Watt to the worst team in the NFL but that's them. They're the worst team in the NFL. Keeping Watt in his contract would have been the meanest, most rotten, cruelest thing the Texans could have done to him. Now, about that Watson fella...
 
JJ was the very best this franchise had to offer for so many years. But more importantly he has been the face of our community - helping during the most challenging times and always making us proud. This is a sad day for Houston but hopefully this leads JJ to the Super Bowl win he truly deserves.
 

maverick512000

Hall of Fame
I was thinking, the Texans could have been villainous and traded Watt to the worst team in the NFL but that's them. They're the worst team in the NFL. Keeping Watt in his contract would have been the meanest, most rotten, cruelest thing the Texans could have done to him. Now, about that Watson fella...
There is a difference, cutting JJ actually does help the Texans because it’s clear money off the cap. Cutting Watson hurts them massively from a cap point of view because they still basically have to pay him most of his contract. Painful as it was there were benefits to cutting JJ and letting him go where he wants, there are no benefits to doing that for Watson.
 

Mollywhopper

Facilitator
Staff member
With JJs release the Texans are 10MM UNDER the cap. Now if they trade Watson they will be $10MM OVER. Cooks would likely be the next to go with a $12MM cap relief.
How's he a $20M swing?

He's a $15.94M cost to play here and a $21.6M cost to be traded.

That's no more than a -$5.66M difference.
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
There were only 11 D-linemen (both interior and edge) rated higher than JJ last year .


There were about 24-25 of them who got paid more than him last year.


Watt was underpaid.
As good as that argument may be, Jj is not the game changer he used to be.

The man can still play. I'm not saying otherwise. We'll see soon enough if the league thinks he was underpaid.
 

TheMatrix31

Hall of Fame
I don't get the "I hope he wins a championship elsewhere!" ****.

**** that. If it's not with us, I don't need to see him win with anyone else. That would be even more painful. Went through that when my namesake won and it wasn't with the Suns.

Now of course would I be happy for him? Of course.

But no, I'm not gonna say this "I hope he goes to ____ and gets a ring!" crap.
 

beerlover

Hall of Fame
That's just freakin sad and hilarious at the same time. When do our powder blue uniforms get here?
Already there. JJ Watt is a key plug and play for Staley’s Chargers new 3-4 defense. With Bosa on the weak side that defense will look a hell of a lot formidable.
 

76Texan

Hall of Fame
As good as that argument may be, Jj is not the game changer he used to be.

The man can still play. I'm not saying otherwise. We'll see soon enough if the league thinks he was underpaid.
This environment is tough financially so we may see something like this:

Still the second D-linemen in FA; sounds about right.
 

The Pencil Neck

Hall of Fame
I love JJ. I wish him all the best. He's given me some great memories, and I'm sorry to see him go.

But with his cap hit, I wasn't expecting him to stay around, and I wasn't expecting us to be able to realistically trade him. I never expected him to play with us next season.
 

KA4Texan

Woof!
Contributor's Club
I don't get the "I hope he wins a championship elsewhere!" ****.

**** that. If it's not with us, I don't need to see him win with anyone else. That would be even more painful. Went through that when my namesake won and it wasn't with the Suns.

Now of course would I be happy for him? Of course.

But no, I'm not gonna say this "I hope he goes to ____ and gets a ring!" crap.
I can legitimately wish him well and a SB ring cause its not like I have to worry about my Texans contending against him anytime soon.

If we were legit and he left, I could honestly wish him well, but not a ring.

Luckily for my love of JJ and my fandom for the Texans... I need not be torn, I suspect he will be long retired before we even sniff a conference game.
 

powda

The bridge between stupid and useless is short.
I can legitimately wish him well and a SB ring cause its not like I have to worry about my Texans contending against him anytime soon.

If we were legit and he left, I could honestly wish him well, but not a ring.

Luckily for my love of JJ and my fandom for the Texans... I need not be torn, I suspect he will be long retired before we even sniff a conference game.

I can agree with the wishing him well sentiment because it has no bearing on our superOWL chances. If he signs with an afc south rival or the cowboys though, I'd strongly reconsider.
 

OptimisticTexan

2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
I think if he had some help, which he had none of here, he could easily be a double digit sack guy again. Provided he stays healthy, which is the biggest risk for whoever he goes to.
I was wondering when someone would say this. Watt had a healthy 2020 campaign but he was the "only" threat on this defense. Watt makes his way to Pittsburgh and remains healthy for another full season.....I think he puts up some primetime Watt numbers when he's no longer the only threat on defense. I think the Steelers will be the front runners to land JJ.
 

Texansballer74

The Marine
I was wondering when someone would say this. Watt had a healthy 2020 campaign but he was the "only" threat on this defense. Watt makes his way to Pittsburgh and remains healthy for another full season.....I think he puts up some primetime Watt numbers when he's no longer the only threat on defense. I think the Steelers will be the front runners to land JJ.

Tampa bay, Baltimore, and the Saints would be perfect fits as well.
 

Speedy

Former Yeller Dweller
JJ is now an ex-Texan and an enemy player, just like AJ was. Give them all the respect you want, but they're playing for the other side now.

It's happens to a lot of the great ones anyway, no use fretting about it.
Well, not yet. Yeah JJ is an ex-Texan, but he isn't playing for anybody right now.
 

TheMatrix31

Hall of Fame
Who he signs with will reveal quite a lot.

I'll be disgusted if he signs with anyone other than Green Bay or Pittsburgh. I'd even be disappointed if he signed with Chicago even if his wife plays in the city considering he's a Packers fan.
 

leebigeztx

Keep it Movin!
I dont think its the same boat. Wf5 is a free agent. Clowney was undercontract.
Fuller is under contract until the start of the new yr like Clowney and Dee Ford were. Dee was traded as was Frank Clark before the end of the new league yr.
 

powda

The bridge between stupid and useless is short.
Fuller is under contract until the start of the new yr like Clowney and Dee Ford were. Dee was traded as was Frank Clark before the end of the new league yr.

You Sure its the same? We only hold wf5's rights for a couple more weeks. We had clowney for a year or more.
 

maverick512000

Hall of Fame
You Sure its the same? We only hold wf5's rights for a couple more weeks. We had clowney for a year or more.
No Clowney’s contract was up, that was the big problem they couldn’t decide whether to resign him for the mega dollars he wanted, trade him for what they could get or just let him walk and go for a comp pick. They finally just tagged him to kick the can down the road but in doing so they gave him veto power. At that point it was trade him to the team he wants for the price that team wants or make him play.

Honestly I think that more than Harden is what has caused Watson or more likely his agent to think Texans will give in, because they have before.
 

Speedy

Former Yeller Dweller
Not answering for @Speedy but it would be a matter of degree for me. He signs with one of our division rivals, then screw 'em. He's the enemy. Anyone else he's fine unless we're playing him.
I don’t know what you’re answering because I apparently have that dude on ignore, but I doubt I’ll ever root against JJ wherever he goes, but rooting for him will depend on where he goes.

If he goes to someplace like Green Bay, they’ve always been like a 3rd favorite team, so I’d have no issues rooting for him there. Tampa Bay, no problem. He goes to Pittsburgh to play with his brothers though, then good luck to you but I couldn’t care less. Yeah, I still have plenty of Pittsburgh hate from the old Oiler days.

Indy, Tennessee, 49ers, teams he’d possibly be interested in, all teams I can’t stand so whatevs if he goes to any of those. Though the thought of him embarrassing the Texans twice a year is intriguing.
 
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