Andre Johnson And The Number 14

We are two weeks away from the start of the 2014 NFL draft, and at a point when the Clowney/Spurrier storyline has come full circle.

It started with Spurrier seeming to call out Clowney's work ethic, then Spurrier saying he really wasn't doing that and finally, today, he told Dan Patrick the Texans have to take Clowney first overall, that he's an athlete like none he's ever seen before.

And so we continue our countdown. Each day examining a number that coincides with the number of days until the draft.

We started yesterday with 15 days remaining until the draft, examining the Texans' 15 first-half turnovers last season.

At 14, we look at a more hopeful offensive number.

14. Record for catches in a game by a Texans' player and by an opponent

Andre Johnson, perhaps the best draft pick in Texans history, and definitely the best offensive draft pick in Texans history, holds nearly every team receiving record. The one he doesn't hold is longest reception. (And it says a lot about the Texans' offenses of yore that running back Arian Foster has two of the longest receptions in team history.)

But this one belongs to Johnson. His 14 catches in a Texans overtime win over the Jaguars in 2012 were the most catches in franchise history. He also set the record for yards in a game with 273 that day.

Johnson's average of 13.8 yards per catch in his career is the best in Texans history, which makes sense for the player who was drafted third overall in the Texans' second draft. He continued to have statistically strong seasons even after turning 30, but I'll be interested to see how he fits with the new Texans regime. Johnson, who renegotiated his contract before the 2013 season, is due to make a base salary of $10 million this season with a roster bonus of $1 million that comes with a cap number of about $15.6 million.

This offseason the Texans have trended toward younger players and smaller cap numbers. Johnson has been through a lot with this franchise, and showed his frustration at times last season. He'll turn 33 in July.


(espn.com)