Andre Johnson trade rumors starting again; 4 teams interested

Four teams have expressed interest in trading for #Texans WR Andre Johnson, who is working out now "not thinking of the Texans," source said

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 10, 2014

Let the fun begin.  Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson is back in the news, with trade rumors once again swirling.  The 11 year veteran, with six Pro Bowl appearances, two First Team All Pro selections, and two years as the NFL leader in receiving yards, has been skipping offseason workouts this year.  According to Ian Rapoport, Johnson has told the Texans he wants to play for another team next season, though Houston does not seem to be in a rush to make that happen.

Could the Miami Dolphins be one of the four teams interested in trading for 2003 third overall draft pick?

It's highly doubtful. First, Johnson comes with a big money contract already, and unless he would be willing to take a major pay cut, it would be tough for Miami to add him to their books. Johnson has three years remaining on his current deal, counting 2014, with salary cap numbers above $14.5 million in each of those seasons, and as high as $16.1 million next year. Some of that would come down, depending on how all of the bonus money is structured, but that's still a large number to fit into a salary cap that already includes Mike Wallace's $17.25 million this year, $12.1 million next year, and $13.7 million the following two years.

Second, the Dolphins are simply not in need of wide receivers at this point. Adding a player of Johnson's talent, no matter how deep a position, is always a bonus and if he found his way to Miami, I do not think any fan would be complaining. The Dolphins, however, have other areas of concern (read: center) right now, and a wide receiver simply does not make much sense at the moment.

Third, Johnson may simply not want to come to Miami. Yes, he is a Miami native, and yes, he went to the University of Miami, but at 32 years old, Johnson is looking to win now, something he has not been able to do in Houston. While the Dolphins look to be a team moving in the right direction, they do not appear to be a team on the verge of a Super Bowl appearance. Johnson could simply refuse to structure his contract in a cap friendly way for the Dolphins, thus preventing any trade.

Finally, if I am Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey, I am at least making a phone call to see what it would take to land Johnson, but I would expect it to be exorbitant. The Texans don't want to give up on their All Pro, and, if they do, they are going to want a lot in return. Miami is not in the position to gut the team - or the future if it is draft picks - to land Johnson.

Johnson may or may not land somewhere else this season - I just wouldn't expect it to be in Miami.