Derrick Mason Trade to Houston Texans Will Revitalize Wideout's Stagnant Season

Despite the fact that New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan predicted veteran wide receiver Derrick Mason would make 90 to 100 catches operating out of the slot this season, he was traded to the Houston Texans for a conditional seventh-round draft pick after just five games.

There was much controversy surrounding Mason in recent weeks, as it has been speculated that he was benched during the first half against the New England Patriots last week for complaining about offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer's system.

While this claim was refuted, there was obviously some form of bad blood, as Mason was dealt to the Texans for peanuts. The trade leaves rookie Jeremy Kerley as the Jets' slot receiver and makes New York fairly thin at the position after Kerley, Santonio Holmes and Plaxico Burress.

From a football perspective the trade may not make much sense for the Jets, but it makes perfect sense for the Texans. Houston has been unable to find a worthy complement to Andre Johnson and have settled on Kevin Walter in that role over the past few seasons.

While Johnson is currently on the shelf with a hamstring injury and could conceivably be out a couple more weeks, Mason's presence will be a big boost to the Houston offense. In Johnson's absence Mason will make for a reliable target for quarterback Matt Schaub, who threw primarily to tight ends Owen Daniels and Joel Dreessen on Sunday.

One Johnson does return, however, Mason will likely be the beneficiary of many short passes from Schaub as he works out of the slot. With Johnson drawing double- and triple-coverage, Schaub needs somebody else he can trust at receiver, and neither Walter nor Jacoby Jones seems to be that guy.

Mason is quietly one of the all-time leading receivers in terms of catches in NFL history and has a very reliable set of hands. Provided he can pick up the offense fairly quickly, Mason will almost certainly be used with much more regularity than he was in New York.

The move is simply a blessing for Mason. The Jets seem to be a sinking ship, and there is no guarantee that they will make the playoffs, while the Texans are currently atop a weak AFC South division and seem very likely to be playing in the month of January.

There is no question that Mason's skills have eroded, but as somebody like the Pittsburgh Steelers' Hines Ward has proven, there is always room on a team for a savvy, sure-handed, veteran receiver, and Mason is just that.