Nothing in the NFL is guaranteed, and the final verdict won't be handed out untl the Houston Texans submit their initial active roster for the coming season. However, former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson just received a big vote of confidence on Sunday.
The latest trade in the National Football League features the Texans sending wide receiver John Metchie III to the Philadelphia Eagles for tight end Harrison Bryant and an exchange of late-round draft assets, per reporter Jordan Schultz.
Watson can breathe a bit easier as the Texans round the corner toward their final preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Saturday, August 23. The trade of Metchie clears the deck for the Texans of a fringe receiver given the depth at the position.
The Texans made things complicated at wideout this offseason after signing Kirk and drafting both Jayden Higgins in the second round and Jaylin Noel in the third. Together with Nico Collins and Tank Dell, Houston had a loaded and inexperienced wide receiver corps that could use someone like Watson.
As for Watson, he left the Chiefs this offseason after three years with the team. He brings a tremendous amount of championship experience to the Texans organization after winning numerous Super Bowls with the Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On the field, Watson was a solid downfield threat for Patrick Mahomes with an average of 16.6 yards/catch over the last three seasons. While he wasn't a volume target, Watson enjoyed Mahomes' trust and was a proven special teams contributor as well.
The Chiefs reportedly wanted to bring Watson back for one more season this spring, per Tony Pauline, but told his agent that money was an issue. Houston landed Watson on a two-year deal worth up to $5 million, so it's hard to trust the veracity of that rumor.
Metchie is a former second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Alabama, a prospect who fell due to an ill-timed injury that ruined his pre-draft tour. The Texans seized on the opportunity to see how he'd fare at No. 44 overall as a futute slot receiver and waited a year for him to return from an ACL tear.
Metchie would go on to play for Houston in 2023-24 and found limited success with only 24 catches on 37 targets for 257 yards last season. After the Texans signed Christian Kirk in free agency, Metchie was expendable and was placed on the trade block.
Bryant is a former fourth-round draft choice in the 2020 draft by the Cleveland Browns who spent last season with the Las Vegas Raiders after finishing four seasons in northern Ohio. He's been a very durable player in his five NFL seasons—with an average of 15.6 games played per season.
As for the Chiefs, the loss of Watson this offseason was part of a slight overhaul at the bottom of the depth chart as Mecole Hardman and Justyn Ross also left the team. Skyy Moore is also going to struggle to stay employed as well, at least on the active roster. Instead, the Chiefs drafted Jaylen Royals in the fourth round out of Utah State and could give roster hopefuls like Tyquan Thornton and/or Jason Brownlee a real chance.
Watson originally entered the NFL as a fifth-round draft choice by the Bucs in 2018. He has 87 catches for 1,322 receiving yards and 9 scor