Oakland sent its 2004 second-round selection, later charged…
Oakland sent its 2004 second-round selection, later charged through the 2003 supplemental draft when Houston selected Tony Hollings, to the Texans for picks No. 83 and No. 262 in the 2003 draft. The Raiders used those selections on Sam Williams and Ryan Hoag. None of the three players became a major NFL contributor, leaving a modest exchange with little lasting value on either side.
Houston Texans Received
- pick 2004 2nd-round selection used in the 2003 supplemental draft on Tony Hollings
Las Vegas Raiders Received
- pick 2003 3rd round pick (83rd overall, Sam Williams)
- pick 2003 7th round pick (262nd overall, Ryan Hoag)
Trade Analysis
This transaction was more unusual than a normal future-pick exchange because Houston ultimately used Oakland's 2004 second-round value in the 2003 supplemental draft. The Texans, still building an expansion roster, sent the Raiders the 83rd and 262nd selections in the regular 2003 draft. Oakland used No. 83 on Fresno State defender Sam Williams and No. 262 on receiver Ryan Hoag. Houston later spent the future second-round slot on Georgia Tech running back Tony Hollings in the supplemental draft.
Oakland received the best NFL career of the three players, but only by a modest margin. Williams stayed with the Raiders for years and appeared in 84 games, mostly as a role player and special-teams contributor. He never developed into the kind of impact defender normally expected from a third-round pick. Hoag did not appear in a regular-season NFL game. Houston's bet on Hollings also failed to create meaningful value. Hollings played only a handful of games for the Texans and never became a significant part of the offense.
The strategic logic favored Houston at the time because the franchise was trying to roll some of its expansion-era extra draft capital into a more valuable future slot. General manager Charley Casserly specifically described the appeal of carrying extra premium capital into 2004. The eventual use of that slot on Hollings erased most of that advantage. Oakland, meanwhile, turned the immediate picks into one long-lived reserve and one player who never appeared. Because neither side converted its assets into starter-level production, a decisive win would overstate the history. Oakland gets slight credit for Williams' longevity, while Houston gets credit for obtaining the more valuable theoretical asset. The practical football return on both sides remained limited, making an even verdict the most defensible result.