Texans legend Andre Johnson discusses the value of an ‘alpha male receiver’
On the heels of a two-game winning streak, it seemed as if things were finally going right for the Houston Texans.
A 41-25 win over the Detroit Lions showed a rhythmic offense capable of scoring quick and often accompanied by a defense that could force turnovers.
Unfortunately for Houston, that dream was seemingly short-lived. On Monday evening both wide receiver Will Fuller and cornerback Bradley Roby announced they would be suspended six games for violations of the NFL’s performance enhancing drug policy. Roby represented the team’s best corner while Fuller was widely considered the most explosive option for quarterback Deshaun Watson.
This comes only six months removed from Watson losing his former favorite target, Deandre Hopkins, due to a seemingly misguided trade by former coach and general manager Bill O’Brien. Fuller had stepped up nicely into the No. 1 wideout role and truly leaves the Texans without a go-to option on passing downs.
While promoting Crown Royal’s campaign to make sure fans take water-breaks between drinks, Texans Ring of Honor visited with the Texans Wire to discuss the value an alpha receiver brings to a team, which Houston has lost now twice in one calendar year.
Texans Wire: What value does a No. 1 receiver bring to a team?
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Johnson: "When you have an alpha receiver, that's a guy who can go and just take a game over. Not everyone can do that. I think that's the biggest thing, I mean when you have an alpha, that's the guy you know when it's third-and-15, you're going to get that guy the ball and it'll be taken care of. He's going to convert the first down. Those are the things you get having an alpha male."
TW: Are alpha receivers worth it given wideout contracts are going up?
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Johnson: "Sometimes it can be, you know, we've seen it where there's the [Terrell Owens] like situations and people take it the wrong way. People feel like the guy is cocky, but it's not being cocky. It's being confident because you know what you can do when you get the ball in your hands. I don't think it's a bad thing to have an alpha receiver, I think we've seen Tom Brady do it without an alpha male. Other than that, you have to have it at some point."
