Marcus Cannon Reportedly Traded to Texans from Patriots; Draft Picks Swapped

The Houston Texans have reportedly acquired offensive tackle Marcus Cannon in a trade with the New England Patriots, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

According to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe, the teams are swapping picks in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds of the 2021 NFL draft to complete the deal.

Cannon spent his first nine seasons with the Patriots but opted out of last season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He had started every game he played over the previous four years, including 15 starts in 2019.

The 32-year-old was on the Patriots roster for three Super Bowl titles and was a starter at right tackle for wins over the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Rams.

With Cannon unavailable in 2020, New England used rookie Michael Onwenu at right tackle for much of the season before solidifying the position last week by trading for Trent Brown.

Cannon will now get a fresh start with Houston, which also has other options at tackle in Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard. According to Field Yates of ESPN, it could indicate Cannon will move to guard after playing the position earlier in his career.

It could further strengthen the Texans offensive line in an effort to protect Deshaun Watson and turn things around after a 4-12 season.

Despite the quarterback's trade request, Houston continues to operate as if he is remaining with the team going into 2021.