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Free Agent interest in Houston, candy & a new era

Houston Texans fans asked Drew Dougherty of Texans TV about why a free agent would want to sign with the club, the new uniforms and much more.

Drew Dougherty
www.houstontexans.com
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Houston Texans Transactions (02-20-2024)

The Houston Texans made a roster move.

Houston Texans Public Relations
www.houstontexans.com
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The Value of Things: Evaluating the Houston Texans Linebacking Corps

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports Who should they keep and who should they bring back? As we continue through our series on Houston Texans position groups we notice a few things. The Texans have a lot of cap rook but they also have a ton of players that were on one year contracts. The linebacker room is no different. They only employed four linebackers routinely this past season and two of them are free agents. They can’t afford to bring back everyone and if they did they would do little else. Linebackers are different than any position on the field. Officially, the Texans run a 4-3 defense, but as most football fans know, teams rarely play in their base defense. When teams move to three wide receivers, the opposing team usually counters with their nickel or dime package on defense. That effectively cuts the linebacking corps from three to two. Yet, teams expect more out of their linebackers than any other position on the defense. Even PFF grades them according to how well they defend the run, rush the passer, and defend in coverage. In addition to that, we will look at tackles, tackles for loss, sacks, and passes defended. As you might imagine, having someone that can do all three things well is worth its weight in gold. The PFF numbers are fairly easy to interpret. Most players range between a 40 and 90 in a particular skill set. That usually sets 60 as roughly average. So, anything above 60 means the player is a net positive in that department. Anything below that and they probably weren’t helpful. As we will seem very few players in the 50s or 60s in any category. They were either very good (70 or higher) or very bad (below 50). Christian Harris Snaps: 869PFF Run: 49.0PFF Pass Rush: 77.4PFF Pass Coverage: 72.2Tackles: 101Sacks: 2.0TFL: 7Passes Defended: 7 How does one interpret playoff performance? Jeremy Pena was the ALCS and WS MVP in 2022 and then went back to being a good fielder and average hitter. J.J. Watt parlayed a great postseason in 2011 into a Hall of Fame career. Time will tell whether Harris’ great postseason propels him into a Pro Bowl type linebacker or if it was simply two great games at the right time. History shows it is probably somewhere in between. A good uptick in performance probably lands him in the Pro Bowl and that’s a nice guy to build the room around. Blake Cashman Snaps: 746PFF Run: 82.3PFF: Pass Rush: 71.3PFF Pass Coverage: 75.3Tackles: 106Sacks:: 2.0TFL: 9Passes Defended: 5 The NFL doesn’t give away such awards, but Cashman would have been a major candidate for the most improved player in the NFL. He went from a special teams guy to a Pro Bowl level linebacker. He has never held up over a full season, so he probably shouldn’t be paid big time linebacker money, but you never know who might offer him a big contract once he hits the open market. He probably can’t play 1,000 or more plays and remain healthy, but if they can find depth then he could be really productive for 600 or 700 snaps. Denzel Perryman Snaps: 633PFF Run: 77.9PFF Pass Rush: 68.6PFF Pass Coverage: 41.1Tackles: 76Sacks: 0.5TFL: 6Passes Defended: 3 If you think Zach Cunningham or Benardrick McKinney then you are on the right track Perryman is a perfectly proficient two down linebacker. Those guys have value and fit in almost every defense. Yet, their value is limited and teams (see guys above) make mistakes all the time overpaying those guys. Perryman is good, but overpaying him would be a mistake. You can find guys as good as him if not better in the draft or on the open market. Henry To’oTo’o Snaps: 459PFF Run: 54.7PFF Pass Rush: 45.0PFF Pass Coverage: 41.8Tackles: 61Sacks: 0.0TFL: 2Passes Defended: 2 Harris put up similar PFF numbers in his rookie season in a similar number of snaps. Of course, he had more physical gifts as well. Maybe To’oTo’o makes a similar jump between year one and year two. Maybe he will always be limited. Either way, he is on a rookie deal so there is no reason to panic either way. Even if he plays sparingly it’s not going to break them in terms of the cap. If he can make a nice jump from year one to year two it could enable them to spend heavily elsewhere. Overall Outlook Denzel Perryman will likely be let go with the tanks of the coaching staff and Nick Caserio for holding the unit together for a season. However, they can do better. Blake Cashman on the other hand will be a more difficult and challenging decision. There are few guys that succeed in all three phases of the defense. If they can bring him back without breaking the bank then they would have three linebackers coming back. Find another veteran linebacker similar to Perryman and you have a good linebacker room for reasonable investment.

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Could Justin Madubuike evolve DeMeco Ryans' Texans defense?

Breaking down the free agent fit for defensive tackle Justin Madubuike and the Houston Texans.

John Crumpler
texanswire.usatoday.com
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Hoops, HBD, a quiet week...and more 'Dre

C.J. Stroud played basketball, it's Dameon Pierce's birthday and Andre Johnson had a whole show dedicated to him over the weekend.

Drew Dougherty
www.houstontexans.com
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Houston Texans Free Agency: Running Back Targets

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Potential free agent options for the Texans at running back. The Houston Texans went from having one of the worst offenses in the league throughout the past few years, to having one of the most exciting in 2023. Most of their success was due to star rookie quarterback C.J Stroud, and his ability to create plays consistently. The Texans offense looked unstoppable at times, but the running back position has to be addressed this offseason. Houston had solid production in the run game, led by former Buffalo Bill Devin Singletary, rushing for 898 yards and four touchdowns. Singletary was able to make plays despite below average run blocking all season, and it could make sense for the Texans to explore re-signing Singletary if it makes sense for both sides. Here are a few options to consider as free agency approaches: OPTION ONE: SAQUON BARKLEY Saquon Barkley is one of the most dynamic running backs in the NFL since he entered the league in 2018. Barkley is only 27 years old, and would transform the Texans offense into something special, similar to what Christian McCaffrey has done for the San Francisco 49ers offense. Barkley seems to be a perfect fit for offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik’s offense, led by Pro Bowl quarterback C.J Stroud. OPTION TWO: JOSH JACOBS: Jacobs is only two years removed from his incredible 1,600+ yard, 12 touchdown campaign, in which he lead the league in rushing. This option may be more of a stretch for Houston considering his potential price tag, but the Texans need to surround their quarterback with as much talent as possible, and Jacobs is one of the best in the league. OPTION THREE: D’ANDRE SWIFT D’andre Swift is only 25 years old, and is coming off a Pro Bowl season in which he rushed for over 1,000 yards, along with five touchdowns. Not only does Swift have a ton of untapped potential, but he would cost far less than than both Barkley and Jacobs. Arguably the biggest priority for the Texans this offseason is to fix their rushing attack. The good news is that the Texans did not have a fully healthy offensive line for the entire year, therefore there is a lot of room for improvement. The goal now is to find the best running back available for Slowik’s scheme, and that shouldn’t be too hard given the fact that Houston could be transforming into a popular destination for free agents for years to come with C.J Stroud at quarterback.

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Stroud and Proud

QB C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans are basking in the fun of a great season and a promising 2024 to come.

Marc Vandermeer
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Top Five Offensive Free Agents for the Houston Texans

Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images Who should the Texans be targeting in this upcoming offseason? The Houston Texans just capped off one of their most successful seasons in recent history, soaring all the way to the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud diced up defense after defense on his way to an inevitable Offensive Rookie of the Year victory. He stunned every player, analyst, and spectator into a silence tinged with awe, all absorbed with what he may do next. But in Houston, the coaches, managers, and assistants must snag their heads out of the clouds and dig into the 2024 offseason. The revelation of C.J. Stroud put Houston’s offense much further away from rebuilding and much, much closer to contending, and now the expectation falls on the front office to keep it rolling. But, with so many players leaving in free agency - not to mention to holes that already existed on the roster in 2023; their work to get back to 2023’s success comes early. So…who’s available? Who are the guys that Houston should spend big to get near C.J. Stroud? What does the next evolution of this offense look like? Well, there are a lot of options, but based on Stroud’s prowess, I’d like the future to involve a lot of passing. So, based on that preface, here are my top five offensive free agents for the 2024 Houston Texans: 5. LG Kevin Dotson Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images 2023 Stats: 14 games (14 starts) 939 total snaps, 2 penalties, 84.4 PFF grade Previous Teams: Los Angeles Rams 2023, Pittsburgh Steelers 2020-2022 Out of all the weak spots on the 2023 Houston Texans roster, it can be argued that guard was their weakest spot. Season-ending injuries to starting center Scott Quessenbery and starting guard Kenyon Green set the tone early. Multiple trades in August/September to bring in former Arizona Cardinal Josh Jones and former Steeler Kendrick Green painted the scene of a line just barely holding it together. Several more injuries later and Houston’s coaching staff had to start kicking their tackles inward in desperation. Fortunately, both Kenyon Green and Kendrick Green will be returning in 2024, but this past season’s near-catastrophe has made me wary of the brothers Green (no relation). Unfortunately, there are no Green free agents left available, so the next best option is another guard with a first name starting with “K.” Kevin Dotson has been decent, then pretty darn good, and most recently a real asset to one of the best rushing offenses in 2023. His reliability could be the missing piece to making the Texans’ offensive line one of the best in the league, which should be the main goal of the offseason now that C.J. Stroud has shown what he’s capable of. 4. RT George Fant Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images 2023 Stats: 16 games (13 starts), 1,004 total snaps, 4 penalties, 61.7 PFF grade Previous Teams: Houston Texans 2023, New York Jets 2020-2022, Seattle Seahawks 2016-2019 Why not run it back with one of Houston’s best free agent signings of 2023? Thanks to injuries nagging at right tackle Tytus Howard for much of the season and more injuries to the line forcing him to play left guard when available, George Fant ended up taking the third most snaps out of all players on offense. And, remarkably, he was one of the best players on offense all season long! Even though Houston already has star left tackle Laremy Tunsil and a healthy Tytus Howard returning for 2024, I still think George Fant should be re-signed for the upcoming year. Maybe my fear of another injury-riddled season on the line is a little overblown, but I am fully behind embracing the Eagles approach of constantly investing in the offensive line in order to guarantee C.J. Stroud’s health. 3. TE Gerald Everett Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images 2023 Stats: 15 games (12 starts), 51 Rec, 411 Yds, 3 TDs, 72.9% Ctch% Previous Teams: Los Angeles Chargers 2022-2023, Seattle Seahawks 2021, Los Angeles Rams 2017-2020 Even though this may be a bit of a controversial take after tight end Dalton Schultz’s year in Houston. Heck, this can even be argued as a sort of downgrade from him, but hear me out: Gerald Everett is a fantastic receiving tight end that I think can perfectly compliment C.J. Stroud’s downfield passing prowess. Tank Dell makes for a great speedster that can win fast, Nico Collins is a perfect WR1 that has the acceleration and length to win anywhere on the field, and then you throw in another big body that can get up to speed in a hurry to clog up the middle of the field? Heck, throw Xavier Hutchinson out there along with them and it’ll look more like a basketball team than a football team. Even though I think height is routinely overrated in football, I still see the advantage of having several receivers over 6’2” that can also run. It’s inherently more difficult to cover them, and they make for a bigger target for the quarterback. On top of this, I expect Dalton Schultz’s price to rise considerably after the year that he had in Houston. Will he be worth whatever he’s asking for? Probably, but nabbing a guy like Gerald Everett on the cheap and then drafting the tight end of the future in either the 2024 or 2025 NFL Draft seems like the better option to me, personally. Feel free to tell me why Houston should stick with Schultz instead in the comments below, but I really like the idea of giving Stroud two giant, speedy receivers to target on nearly every passing play. 2. RB Saquon Barkley Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images 2023 Stats: 14 games (14 starts), 247 Att, 962 Yds, 3.9 Y/A, 6 TDs, 41 Rec, 280 Yds, 4 Rec TDs, 68.2% Ctch% Previous Teams: New York Giants 2018-2023 I mean, how could I not put him on here? He may have an injury history, but Saquon Barkley has still been lightning in a bottle when he’s on the field. He has the strength, balance, and speed to be a great interior rusher behind Juice Scruggs (a fellow Penn Stater) and Shaq Mason. He has the awareness and acceleration to be a problem for any edge defender, and, to top it all off, he’s practically an NFL-caliber wide receiver. He is as close to the complete package you’ll ever be able to get on an NFL offense, and if the San Francisco 49ers taught us anything this year, it’s that a great dual-threat back can be just what your offense needs to be truly unstoppable. 1. WR Mike Evans Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images 2023 Stats: 17 games (17 starts), 79 Rec, 1255 Yds, 13 TDs, %58.1 Ctch% Previous Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2014-2023 You know how earlier in this article I said “… I really like the idea of giving Stroud two giant receivers to target on nearly every passing play?” Well…why stop there? Why not make it three? Mike Evans is my top free agent prospect for the Houston Texans to target this offseason. He’s going to be hard to get and highly expensive, but he will be worth every penny. The one thing the Houston Texans have been unable to do since 2019 is find a consistent replacement for DeAndre Hopkins. Since trading him in March 2020, Houston’s top receivers have been Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins, the ladder making the leap to stardom just this year. Brandin Cooks did an admirable job replacing Hopkins in an offense that was dead-on-arrival with Davis Mills, but he could never be the game-changing receiver Houston would often count on to bail them out of close games. In 2023, Nico Collins and rookie receiver Tank Dell revealed they have what it takes to make big plays happen, and wouldn’t it be just terrific if the Texans decided to add a third star receiver into the mix? Doesn’t a starting lineup of Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Mike Evans sound tantalizing? Forget the DeAndre Hopkins/Will Fuller combination, that three-headed monster could break records! But, this isn’t just for building a star-studded starting lineup, a big contract for Mike Evans can mean having one of the best insurance policies in the entire league. With how good Dell and Collins were in 2023, it seems almost inevitable that one will miss a significant amount of time in 2024, so an iron man like Mike Evans will come in handy. And Evans can do anything: he’s smart, subtle, runs a great route, fast, has an absolutely ridiculous wingspan, and is very consistent. In any game in 2024, Stroud would have at least one receiver he can count on at all times, and I think that is worth whatever amount of money Mike Evans is asking for. He and Saquon alone would put Houston in Super Bowl contention, so I’d say both are worth whatever is needed to get them here. And that’s the list! I’d be thrilled to see Houston net any of these players, but I hope they end up grabbing at least a few big names considering their cap space. Now is the time to spend like there’s no tomorrow, so here I am hoping Houston will gamble it all on hefty contracts for Saquon Barkley and Mike Evans. What’s more likely is something a bit more pedestrian, like re-signing Josh Jones and giving Hunter Henry a bunch of money. Even with how good last offseason went, I’m still a little scabbed up from previous years and have come to expect disappointment. What do you think, though? Will Houston nab some of the hottest free agents this year, or will they take it easy? Will they spend heavy trying to build a Super Bowl roster in March, or will they rather save their big swings for the 2024 NFL Draft? Let us know in the comments below!

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Texans retain safeties coach Stephen Adegoke

Houston Texans safeties coach Stephen Adegoke originally accepted a position with Michigan before he reportedly decided to return.

Tyler Greenawalt
texanswire.usatoday.com
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Texans CB Steven Nelson opens up about social media dispute with GM Nick Caserio

Steven Nelson discussed a former dispute with Texans GM Nick Caserio, his regret for it and his surprise how it blew up on social media.

John Crumpler
texanswire.usatoday.com
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Texans listed as top fit for free agent RB Derrick Henry

Could the Texans be a landing spot for free agent running back Derrick Henry?

John Crumpler
texanswire.usatoday.com
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Value of Things: Evaluating the Texans Defensive Line

Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports Are there any holes on the Texans defensive line? As we come back to our analysis of the Houston Texans position groups, I remind everyone of the overall objective here. Our first priority is to get a handle of who we have. When you do that, it becomes pretty clear what the team will need moving forward. From there, then you can start to evaluate possible free agent targets versus draft prospects. To make matters more complicated, most of these players are at the end of their contract. So, a part of the calculation will be where they set their own price. Some guys were good guys to have on their current price but might be too costly at the price they want. So, we will look at contract status, total snaps, PFF Run and Pass rush grades, tackles, sacks, and tackles for loss. In terms of PFF, anything above 60 is considered good. Obviously, anything lower than 60 is shaky to bad. Maliek Collins Contract: Signed through 2024Snaps: 780PFF Run: 44.5PFF Pass Rush: 68.4Tackles: 41Sacks: 5.0TFL: 8 It is hard to crack on Collins too much, but you will notice something about the defensive line and that is a struggle against the run. Collins isn’t breaking the bank and he is a good pass rushing defensive tackle, so his presence isn’t a huge problem. If he could paired with a run stuffing tackle then it might actually work well. Jonathan Greenard Contract: Free AgentSnaps: 697PFF Run: 69.7PFF Pass Rush: 72.9Tackles: 52Sacks: 12.5TFL: 15 It all comes down to price. Greenard picked the right time to have his first healthy season as a Texan. So, do you pay him over $20 million a season when he hasn’t been healthy until this season? Do you allow him to break the bank somewhere else? It’s a hard question for Nick Caserio because if you let him go then you have a gaping hole at one of the defensive end positions. Will Anderson Contract: Signed through 2027Snaps: 695PFF Run: 77.4PFF Pass Rush: 76.6Tackles: 45Sacks: 7.0TFL: 10 If you look at the PFF grades you can see that Anderson is a different type of player and one you can build a defense around. With the fifth year option he has four more seasons before he has to get paid. So, you can take advantage of the reasonable deal and hopefully pair him with another dominant defensive lineman through free agency or the draft. Sheldon Rankins Contract: Free AgentSnaps: 673PFF Run: 34.1PFF Pass Rush: 74.7Tackles: 37Sacks: 6.0TFL: 9 Like Collins, there is nothing inherently wrong with Rankins. He is a nice pass rushing tackle and he made some plays this past season. Still, he struggles against the run. That meant that DeMeco had to cheat in order to stop the run. That is why the team sometimes got gashed against the pass. If you had a run stuffing tackle it would enable those linebackers and safeties to be more honest against the pass. Kurt Hinish Contract: Signed through 2025Snaps: 542PFF Run: 47.5PFF Pass Rush: 55.5Tackles: 22Sacks: 0.5TFL: 2 He was an undrafted free agent, so the expectations have to be limited. There is a difference between playing a lot of plays and playing them well. It can be tricky saying someone that plays a lot and assuming it means they are being successful. He shouldn’t be getting this many snaps, but he is a good guy to keep around. Khalil Davis Contracts: Free AgentSnaps: 481PFF Run: 60.7PFF Pass Rush: 63.7Tackles: 32Sacks: 2.0TFL: 6 Can part-time players become full time players? If you took these numbers and projected them over 700 snaps then you would have yourself a damn good defensive tackle. Of course, that rarely ever happens as players often get exposed when they get more playing time. He can easily come back and be a productive tackle, but maybe he can be an affordable option with increased playing time. Jerry Hughes Contract: Free AgentSnaps: 474PFF Run: 58.5PFF Pass Rush: 67.2Tackles: 32Sacks: 3.0TFL: 4 As a Horned Frog I have some very fond memories of Hughes. He was a good signing that provided good veteran leadership for a reasonable price. At 35 it is time for him to move onto into the next phase of his life. He won’t be going to Canton, but he was a really good football player for a long time. It’s time to find a new guy. Derek Barnett Contract: Free AgentSnaps: 415PFF Run: 74.3PFF Pass Rush: 73.9Tackles: 22Sacks: 2.5TFL: 9 Barnett was a great midseason pickup. If he will sign for a reasonable amount I’d love to have him back. He is a perfect third defensive end that can spell the starters on any down. Others might be pass rush specialists, but he is capable of playing an entire game if need be. He won’t dominate, but he will put up some quiet good numbers. Teair Tart Contract: Free AgentSnaps: 378PFF Run: 49.0PFF Pass Rush: 65.2Tackles: 24Sacks: 1.0TFL: 8 Tart was picked up late in the season when the Titans cut him late in the season. I suppose everyone has a good price point and he is no different. However, just looking at the numbers there isn’t much to write home about. This team has plenty of defensive tackles that can’t defend against the run. Dylan Horton Contract: Signed through 2026Snaps: 175PFF Run: 51.8PFF Pass Rush: 50.7Tackles: 13Sacks: 0.0TFL: 1 Horton lost most of the season due to an undisclosed health condition. So, it is hard to say what he could have done if healthy for the whole season. Year two will tell us a lot if he is able to come back to playing football. If he can get into the facility and work with the conditioning team and coaching staff he could come back a much better player. Overall Observations This team has two starters under contract next season. They have a few complementary pieces like Hinish and possibly Horton, but they will have to make major decisions on Greenard and Rankins. I personally can’t see them running back to the same defensive line, so one of those two will likely go somewhere else. That means they either need to commit major dollars to replacing them or major draft capital. Stay tuned.

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Tank Dell and Andre Johnson, plus fan questions

Pro Football Hall of Famer Andre Johnson was back in the building on Wednesday and shared his thoughts on how honored he is to be headed to Canton.

Drew Dougherty
www.houstontexans.com
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Which key free agents do the Houston Texans keep?

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports And which ones will walk away in 2024? Not only is the off-season about adding to the success of the 2023 Houston Texans roster, it’s also about retaining the right pieces to continue building for the future. With star free agents from other teams such as New York Giants tailback Saquon Barkley and Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs defense lineman Chris Jones seeing their names tied to the Texans in the rumor mill, it’s easy to forget the in-house talent. But head coach Demeco Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio need to work on contracts for the players they want to keep before the free agency period begins next month. ESPN.com The list of noteworthy free agents starts with defensive end Jonathan Greenard, who had 12.5 sacks (tied for 10th). There’s also linebacker Blake Cashman, who led the team in tackles (109), tight end Dalton Schultz, cornerback Steven Nelson, kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins. Greenard is the highest profile in this batch, having tallied 12.5 sacks last season. His on-field performance was a big help for Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr. The first question: do Ryans and Caserio see Greenard as part of the future? Second question: does Greenard see himself staying in H-Town? Then the price of admission comes into play. Overthecap.com currently has the Texans with $57,744,290 in available space. Once the 2024 salary cap is announced, that number is expected to rise into the $61 mil range. OTC has Greenard valued at $11.7 mil for 2024. Does he mean enough to the Texans plans to eat up nearly 20% of their available cap space? Next up, tight end Dalton Schultz who meant an awful lot to Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud. OTC has Schultz penned in at just under $8.4 mil in 2024. That’s just shy of 14% of the available cap. With Greenard and Schultz, Caserio could erase roughly 35% of the available cap cash. Are the 2 players that integral to coach Ryans’ future plans? Blake Cashman ($7.4 mil), Steven Nelson ($11.8 mil), Ka’imi Fairbairn ($2.8 mil) and Sheldon Rankins ($7.4) would eat up a combined $29.4 mil of the remaining $40.9 mil, leaving just $11.5 mil to sign another tailback, defensive line interior help and any other positions Caserio and Ryans deem necessary. Keep in mind, contracts get front loaded, back loaded, side loaded and/or signing bonus loaded all the time to jigger the salary cap hit. All that to say, these numbers are certainly not set in stone. And, at least one of these players is likely to play for another team in 2024. Plus, Caserio has proven adept at generating cap space by negotiating new deals with existing players to kick the cap can down the road. No matter how he does it, the man has a lot to do and not very long to do it. And there’s always the Spector of the Unexpected: #Texans Could acquire Khalil Mack & let Jonathan Greenard walk in Free Agency. Recoup a 3rd or 4th Round Compensatory pick for Greenard. Avoid Guarantees that leak into 2025 with a 1-$23.25M commitment to Khalil Mack. Upgrade the Edge opposite Will Anderson....— Chad Forbes (@NFLDraftBites) February 8, 2024 Get out your popcorn. The roster reshuffling is about to begin.

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Texans QB C.J. Stroud put up numbers vs. Heat player in high school

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was an absolute bucket in high school before playing football at Ohio State.

Tyler Greenawalt
texanswire.usatoday.com
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"This was for the whole city of Houston": Andre Johnson talks Hall of Fame

Andre Johnson is a Pro Football Hall of Famer, and he met with the media on Wednesday at NRG Stadium. The Texans legend explained how elated he's been since finding out the good news.

Drew Dougherty
www.houstontexans.com
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Why Eric Bieniemy would be a perfect addition for Texans

John Crumpler states his case for Eric Bieniemy to replace former Texans senior offensive assistant in Shane Day.

John Crumpler
texanswire.usatoday.com
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Free agency plans, Player free time and the 1st rounder

Houston Texans fans had questions about free agency, the NFL Draft, the new uniforms and a whole lot more. Drew Dougherty of Texans TV answered those questions.

Drew Dougherty
www.houstontexans.com
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Lots to love, 'Dre Day, and merchandise is on sale

Happy Valentine's Day! The Houston Texans are a loveable bunch these days, and Andre Johnson is getting honored this morning at NRG Stadium.

Drew Dougherty
www.houstontexans.com
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Best Deep Threat Additions For Houston Texans: Free Agents

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports Possible signees Houston can bring in to bolster the downfield offense Remember the days of Will Fuller V? The 2023 Houston Texans dynamic passing attack was headlined by the emergence of WR Nico Collins and Tank Dell. The duo combined for 2,000 yards and 15 touchdowns on their way to the most productive season in year. They return alongside a cast of Robert Woods, John Metchie III, and Xavier Hutchinson. The gang’s all here... except one thing appears to be missing....a dynamic down-field threat. While Houston’s offense certainly stretched the field, only Dell ranked in the Top 30 WRs for Average Depth of Target (aDoT) in the league. Houston’s lack of a true deep ball was an obvious missing piece from an otherwise fantastic offense. With the Texans returning so many quality receiving options on team-friendly contracts, Houston can shell out some of their 5th-most salary cap on their choice of the top free agent wide receivers who specialize in down-field pass catching. Note: Projected contracts and aDoT are provided by PFF. Free Agents Gabe Davis 2023 Season: 45 catches, 746 yards, 7 TDs, 16.6 yards per reception Career aDoT: 15.6 yards Projected Contract: 1 yrs — $12m avg/yr Why he fits: Davis has been playing Robbin to Stefon Diggs’ Batman for the better part of his career. He may not get the lead role in Houston he desires, but the offensive scheme will grant Davis the ability to be more than just a star WRs’ decoy. Mike Evans 2023 Season: 75 catches, 1255 yards, 13 TDs, 15.9 yards per reception Career aDoT: 15.0 yards Projected Contract: 3 yrs — $23m avg/yr Why he fits: Death, taxes, and Mike Evans. According to PFF he was the most dangerous receiver downfield (20+ yards) in 2023. He also had the longest average depth of target (aDoT) at 15.1. Though he appears to be quarterback-proof, Texans would be buying Evans with both fingers crossed that he won’t fall off the cliff at age 31. Darnell Mooney 2023 Season: 31 catches, 414 yards, 1 TD, 13.4 yards per reception Career aDoT: 11.7 yards Projected Contract: 1 yr - $9M Why he fits: Mooney’s potential and skill set never fit with the Bears’ offense. His straight line speed wasn’t utilized in their offense. His productivity declined the past two seasons and he’s set to be replaced by a first round WR in Chicago. Houston would love to have Mooney if he’s truly recovered from his injuries and comfortable with a rotational role. Marquise Brown 2023 Season: 51 catches, 574 yards, 4 TDs, 11.3 yards per reception Career aDoT: 12.3 yards Projected Contract: 1 yrs — $12m avg/yr Why he fits: Brown is another one of those players who has never reached his potential. Brown has either been a head case or injured. It isn’t the Texans’ M.O. to bring in players with this much baggage, but if Houston is looking to acquire a top-end talent at a low-end price, Brown is the best option. Josh Reynolds 2023 Season: 40 receptions, 608 yards, 5 TDs, 15.2 yards per reception Career aDoT: 12.2 yards Projected Contract: 2 yrs — $10.5M Why he fits: Speed. Reynolds’s eighth season was his best yet as the clear WR2 in Detroit’s offense. But former first rounder Jameson Williams is primed to relinquish Reynolds from that role. Reynolds is a pure downfield threat with recent playoff experience. Projected Signing: Gabe Davis, 3 years, $27M

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ALL fans get 60% off ALL gear this weekend at our Thank You Fans sale

Stop by Houston Methodist Training Center on Saturday & Sunday for jerseys, caps, shirts, and everything else you need for yourself, family, and friends. Plus meet Texans Legends and Cheerleaders!

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Texans QB C.J. Stroud has 4th-best odds to win 2024 MVP

Oddsmakers predict Houston Texans C.J. Stroud will have an even more impressive sophomore season after he won Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Tyler Greenawalt
texanswire.usatoday.com
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Shakeup for Texans at #23 overall | Mock Draft Roundup, Post-Super Bowl

The latest round of Mock Drafts have the Texans split between taking a defensive end or a defensive tackle with the 23rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Drew Dougherty
www.houstontexans.com
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Texans keep assistant OL coach Cole Popovich on new contract

The Houston Texans were able to bring back another assistant coach.

Tyler Greenawalt
texanswire.usatoday.com
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The constant of the Houston Texans: Jon Weeks

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Death, Taxes and Jon Weeks You would be hard-pressed to find a greater single night for the Houston Texans than the most recent NFL awards. By the time that the Las Vegas-based program ended, the Houston Texans claimed both offensive and defensive rookie of the year, with CJ Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. respectively, validating the biggest draft day gamble this decade. Throw in the long-delayed but beyond well-deserved announcement that Andre Johnson would join the 7-man 2024 Hall of Fame class, and the night couldn’t have gone better (for the most part). That night showed the best of the past and perhaps the glory of the future ahead for the Houston Texans. Yet, with all of these accolades for the Houstonian superstars, there was another action, a week prior, that probably didn’t get a lot of attention, but one that deserves recognition and celebration nevertheless. The Houston Texans re-signed long-snapper Jon Weeks to another 1-year deal at the veteran minimum. On the surface, this is not exactly earth shaking news, and certainly not the headline grabber that would result if Weeks won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, for which he was the Texans’ nominee. However, that is doing a disservice to the greatest constant in franchise history. Since the Texans signed the unrestricted free agent to the roster in 2010, Weeks has been party to the best and worst of times for the Texans in his 227 games and counting. Under his tenure, the team has won all 7 of its division championships, all 5 of its playoff wins and had all but one of its winning seasons. He saw the peak of Arian Foster and JJ Watt. He saw the dominance and end of the aforementioned Johnson’s time in Houston, the rise and fall of DeAndre “Nuk” Hopkins, the failed promise of Watson, the gutsy stories of Yates and Keenum and the latest Great Franchise QB Hope with Stroud. Yet, he has also seen the rise and fall of the Kubiak and O’Brien regimes. Weeks saw a team get within 3 quarters of the city’s first conference championship in 40 years, only to see it crash and burn in another Houston playoff failure. He saw the collapse of a franchise, going from contender to laughingstock and afterthought, where a team drew more headlines for off-field actions and front-office intrigue. He saw the controversies of the McNair regime. Weeks had to suffer through a massive city-altering hurricane, a global pandemic and Jack Easterby. Through all of that, Weeks remains. That he has done so is a testament to the criticality of the long snapper in the NFL. To look at Weeks’ career stats is to wonder just how he is still on the roster. He has a career 33 tackles, 1 fumble recovery and 1 Pro-Bowl appearance. He is notionally a center, but will likely never line up as the primary center on an offensive play. Given the struggles of the position for Houston these past few years, you would be remiss if you wondered why the team just didn’t try him there. Yet, the long snapper is one of those types of jobs where you only make headlines when you screw up. You would have to dig deep to try to calculate how many “long snaps happen in a game?” The standard estimate is rough 8-10 per team per contest. Certainly not a stat that garners much attention. Still, since Weeks took over long snapping duties for the Texans, he has done the following: Regular Totals: Punt Snaps: 1085 FG Snaps: 463 XP Snaps: 502 Post Season: Punt Snaps: 62 FG Snaps: 20 XP Snaps: 24 Total Regular Season “Long Snaps”: 2051 Total Post Season ”Long Snaps”: 106 Total Career “Long Snaps”: 2157 Total Number of Muffed/Bad Snaps: 0.00 Think about that. All of those snaps, all of that repetitive motion, all while grown 275-300+lbs men are trying to power through you in the modern version of primal animal territorial conflict, hitting with the force of speeding Ford F-350 trucks. Not. A. Single. Botched. Snap. Most people can’t go 2000 steps without tripping up at least once. John Madden wrote about the importance of the Long Snapper. When there were debates about which player to cut, the minute someone brought up the point about the long snapper, the question was settled and that player stayed. Think that a good long snapper can be taken for granted? The 2002 Giants from the Wild Card game would like a word, as would so many other teams who saw a game, if not a season, end due to a bad punt or kick snap. The Texans have had their ups and downs, but for all of the issues for the squad since 2010, the fact that the Texans have been able to consistently rely on the long snapper and his 2157 snaps is not anything to take lightly. We once joked about the “Toro Constant”, but the real constant for this team has been one Mr. Jon Weeks.. While Weeks is expected to play at least one more season in Houston, his time in the pros is likely to end soon. Unfortunately, Weeks will never get the knock on his door from a gold-jacketed representative from Canton, but his role for the Houston Texans cannot be overlooked. When Jon Weeks hangs up the jersey for the last time, the Houston Texans organization needs to get his Ring of Honor ceremony scheduled immediately after. Perhaps #46 will never be thought of as the best to ever play for Houston, but none has been as constant a force for the team.

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Closure, a beginning, and C.J. Stroud's walk down Radio Row

The Super Bowl and 2023 are now officially in the books, Texans Radio hits the airwaves again tonight and C.J. Stroud took an interesting walk in Las Vegas.

Drew Dougherty
www.houstontexans.com
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UFL’s Houston Roughnecks to play 2024 season at Rice Stadium

Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports A little football to pass the time til the Texans return The United Football League (UFL) recently announced the Houston Roughnecks will play their 2024 games in H-Town’s Rice Stadium. Who are the UFL you ask? Well, apparently when we were all busy rooting for C.J. Stroud, Demeco Ryans and the Houston Texans, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his ownership group worked a successful merger between the pro football minor league USFL and the XFL resulting in one united league. In the aftermath of that merger the USFL’s Houston Gamblers are no more, and the Houston Roughnecks are the “last team standing”. Hopefully they’ll sport some Luv Ya Blue at one point or another to really rile up that “team” in Tennessee. Actually, the Gamblers just took the Roughnecks name... cause that’s less confusing... CW39.com HOUSTON (KIAH) — The Houston Roughnecks will play five home games at Rice Stadium for the 2024 season in the United Football League, including the season opener against the Memphis Showboats on Sunday, March 31. The UFL released their 2024 schedule on Monday, as well as a schedule for fans to buy season tickets. Roughneck season ticket holders who already have money in their account can select their seats for the season before the rest of the season tickets go on sale on Monday, Feb. 12. Single-game tickets can be purchased beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 20. Tickets can be purchased at the UFL’s website. UFL.com This is the first year of the UFL after the XFL and USFL merged back in December. The Roughnecks, who will play this season at Rice after the XFL version of the team played at TDECU Stadium at the University of Houston. This year, the Roughnecks are really the USFL’s Houston Gamblers, but will instead wear the same uniform and colors that the XFL team wore last year. The first game of the season against Memphis will be a 2 p.m. kickoff and will be televised on ESPN. Click here for the full coaching staff and roster for the 2024 season. FOX26Houston.com “I can’t think of a better way to kick off the 2024 UFL season than at home in Houston, at iconic Rice Stadium, in front of thousands of Houston Roughnecks fans,” said Houston Roughnecks Head Coach CJ Johnson. “I hope all Houstonians will mark their calendars for Sunday, March 31, and join us, as we protect the ‘Rig!’” The UFL’s 10-game regular season begins on March 30. The eight UFL teams will each play six in-conference games and four inter-conference games this season. Week 1: March 31 at 2 p.m.; Memphis Showboats at Houston Roughnecks Week 2: April 7 at 3 p.m.; Houston Roughnecks at D.C. Defenders Week 3: April 14 at 11 a.m.; Houston Roughnecks at Michigan Panthers Week 4: April 21 at 1 p.m. Arlington Renegades at Houston Roughnecks Week 5: April 27 at 6 p.m.; Birmingham Stallions at Houston Roughnecks Week 6: May 4 at 2 p.m.; Houston Roughnecks at St. Louis Battlehawks Week 7: May 12 at 2 p.m.; San Antonio Brahmas at Houston Roughnecks Week 8: May 18 at 7 p.m.; Houston Roughnecks at Birmingham Stallions Week 9: May 26 at 1:30 p.m.; Michigan Panthers at Houston Roughnecks Week 10: June 2 at 6 p.m.; Houston Roughnecks at Memphis Showboats The UFL Conference Championships will be held on June 8 and June 9, and the Championship game will be on June 16. HOUSTON GET READY FOR LIFT OFF ️ ➡️ https://t.co/dUZw6ZuQOe#UFL | #Houston | #drillbabydrill pic.twitter.com/q6UvviJQRE— Houston Roughnecks (@XFLRoughnecks) February 5, 2024

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Analyzing Texans’ GM Nick Caserio’s Draft Strategy and Habits

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images Houston Texans top tactics to team building through the draft Houston has three seasons under its belt with General Manager Nick Caserio. It’s been a tumultuous but rewarding ride. It feels as though it’s been a millions years but also just finally getting underway. We’ve learned a lot about Houston’s GM and how he constructs a roster. Caserio’s building blocks are one-year contracts for veterans, aggressive draft day maneuvers, and no room for veterans who don’t want to be here. For the draft specifically, we’ve identified five points of strategy during the Nick Caserio era. 1. Double-up on positions of need Nick Caserio addresses ‘holes’ on the roster by selecting a top-end talent to start at the position, goes back to the well later in the draft to develop another player alongside the elite prospect. This both resolves an immediate need while building in a backup option in case the first one doesn’t pan out. In some instances, both players hit and the position transforms from a weakness to a strength. Here’s examples from the last two drafts: 2023: DEs: Will Anderson & Dylan Horton, OG/OC: Juice Scruggs and Jarrett Patterson, WRs Tank Dell & Xavier Hutchinson 2022: OL: Kenyon Green & Austin Deculus, DBs Derek Stingley & Jalen Pitre 2. Trade up to select the player he wants Call it getting antsy, call it not leaving it to chance, but don’t call it passive. If there’s a player on Nick Caserio’s draft board that he wants, he’s going to expend the draft capital to nab him before another team does. What will be exeedingly interesting is how Caserio executes this year without a surplus of draft picks like the last two years. Caserio has traded up to select the following players: 2023: Will Anderson Jr., Juice Scruggs, Henry To’o To’o, Tank Dell, Xavier Hutchinson 2022: Christian Harris, John Metchie III, Thomas Booker, Teagan Quitoriano 2021: Nico Collins, Garret Wallow Do you realize how absurd that is? The entire draft is fluid. This isn’t a trend, it’s a primary draft strategy. It makes you consider that Caserio is likely to move back in the 2024 draft to bulk up on third-fifth round picks to increase their draft liquidity. 3. Even distribution between offensive and defensive players (with a skew to offense) It’s logical, but not always the approach taken around the league. There’s plenty of opposing NFL teams who utilize an entire draft class to fix one side of the ball. Take a look at the Lions’ 2022 class; it featured six defensive players and just two offensive players. Houston’s last two classes are split as such: 2023: 5 offense, 4 defense 2022: 5 offense, 4 defense 2021: 3 offense, 2 defense While the offense had more pressing needs over the past two offseason, defense is expected to lead the way this year. The offense returns nine of eleven starters from last year’s team while the defense could lose five to six starters. 4. Prioritize starting potential over special teams players When it comes to the Day Three picks, Nick Caserio would prefer to roll the dice on a high-ceiling prospect in a position of need than a lower-end positional prospect who can contribute on special teams. Under O’Brien and Brian Gaine, the last few picks were almost exclusively special teams contributors. The list speaks for itself. 2020: John Reid, Isaiah Coulter, Charlie Heck 2019: Xavier Crawford, Cullen Gillaspia 2018: Peter Kalambayi, Jermaine Kelly Jr. Under Caserio, players such as Xavier Hutchinson, Jarrett Patterson, Teagan Quitoriano, and Roy Lopez have all been Day Three picks with the intention of legitimate roles on offense or defense. He prefers a player who can contribute in the two major phases of football than sparingly play well on special teams. This strategy has built depth and continuity at several of the position groups. Most noticeably linebacker and wide receiver. 5. Preference for Big-Time Schools and Programs Caserio wants winners; players who are in leading roles in major college football programs. He’s less interested in the D-3 prospect with all the intangibles and recent hype. The priority is on players with multiple years of experience at the highest level in the game. Here’s the top schools he’s picked from over the years: Alabama (4), Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Notre Dame, LSU (2), Texas A&M, TCU (2), Stanford (2) He has only picked one player outside of a Power Five school: Tank Dell from University of Houston. 6. Selecting Team Captains It’s not good enough to select the best players on the team; Caserio needs leaders in the locker room. Given the feeling of being adrift in Houston over the past couple years, Houston needed to bolster the leadership from the ground up.\ 2023: Jarrett Patterson, C.J. Stroud, Will Anderson, Tank Dell, Xavier Hutchinson, Juice Scruggs 2022: Austin Deculus, Thomas Booker 2021: Davis Mills, Garret Wallow Any other trends you’ve noticed over the years? Leave a comment down below.

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Texans QB C.J. Stroud says DeMeco Ryans was robbed of COTY

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud thinks DeMeco Ryans’ COTY resume was better than Kevin Stefanski’s.

Tyler Greenawalt
texanswire.usatoday.com
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VanderBlog: The Goat, the ROYS and a COTY Rant

He’s in – so I don’t need to sell you on why he deserves this.

Marc Vandermeer
www.houstontexans.com
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Texans QB C.J. Stroud offers high praise for 49ers QB Brock Purdy

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud wanted to set the record straight about how good Brock Purdy is with the San Francisco 49ers.

Tyler Greenawalt
texanswire.usatoday.com
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Texans HC DeMeco Ryans Got Jobbed Out of Coach of the Year

The rightful COTY. | Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports And you will never convince me otherwise. On a night when Houston Texans C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. won Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year, respectively, you would think it would be difficult to find fault with what might be the best single night in franchise history. Reader, it was not difficult. At all. Because not long after Stroud and Anderson collected their hardware, the NFL announced the winner for AP Coach of the Year. It was not DeMeco Ryans. Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski won. Kevin Stefanski. Okay. Let’s ignore the fact that the Texans curbstomped the Browns in the playoffs 45-17 because by that point the vote had already been cast. I understand that had no effect on anything, I just wanted to mention it again because that was soooo satisfying. But seriously, Kevin Stefanski? According to the NFL’s own website, the case for Stefanski as COTY rested on his ability to keep the Browns in the playoff hunt and ultimately led them to the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs after cycling through five quarterbacks (including the alleged sex criminal Deshaun Watson), three offensive tackles, and an injured bell cow running back in Nick Chubb; again, only to get boat raced by our very own Texans. That’s no small feat, I’ll give you that. But then, taking a team that had won eight games over the last three years and winning 10 games is no small feat. Winning the AFC South in your first year is no small feat. Creating a winning culture in one season is no small feat. Bringing hope back to a fan base that had subterranean expectations for the Texans is, say it with me, y’all, no small feat. I do not begrudge Stefanski his award and congratulate him for what should rightfully belong to The Cap’n. I DO, however, begrudge the AP voters. And here’s why. Context: first place votes = 5, second place votes = 3, third place votes = 1 AP Coach of the YearStefanski wins with more 1st place votes Kevin Stefanski 21-18-6 = 165 DeMeco Ryans 20-21-2 = 165 Dan Campbell 3-3-9 = 33 Kyle Shanahan 3-3-2 = 26 John Harbaugh 2-2-10 = 26 Sean McVay 1-2-10 = 21 Mike Tomlin 0-1-2 = 5 Shane Steichen…— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) February 9, 2024 Here’s the full breakdown: *Kevin Stefanski (CLE) 21-18-6 = 165*DeMeco Ryans (HOU) 20-21-2 = 165*Dan Campbell (DET) 3-3-9 = 33*Kyle Shanahan (SF) 3-3-2 = 26*John Harbaugh (BAL) 2-2-10 = 26Sean McVay (LAR) 1-2-10 = 21Mike Tomlin (PIT) 0-1-2 = 5Shane Steichen (IND) 0-0-4 = 4Matt LaFleur (GB) 0-0-2 = 2Todd Bowles (TB) 0-0-1 = 1Mike McDaniel (MIA) 0-0-1 = 1Sean McDermott (BUF) 0-0-1 = 1 *Coach of the Year finalist The only thing separating Stefanski and Ryans was a single first place ballot for Stefanski that broke the tie. Again, Stefanski got the Browns to the playoffs which in itself is something close to a miracle; I do get it. What I do NOT get and will not get are these votes for non-finalist candidates. Any one of the third place votes for Sean McDermott (huh?) or Shane Steichen (HAH!) put in DeMeco’s column would’ve been enough to break the tie and get The Cap’n, the Coach of the Year award he so rightly deserved. But since AP voters turn their ballots in early, including before the Texans punched their ticket to the playoffs in Week 18, we get first place votes for Sean McVay (sure, whatever) or a throwaway third place ballot for Mike McDaniel. As a result, DeMeco Ryans got...well...jobbed. He got hosed. Hoodwinked. Finagled. Other synonyms for screwed, as well. So, if you’re an AP voter and you happen to come across this post (and I know y’all read this) and you voted for Shane Steichen or any of the non-finalist coaches, I just want to have a high-decibel discussion about your vote and why you think you should continue to be a voter for the Associated Press. But then again, these are the same people who said Joe Flacco, who had a bad couple of years prior to this year, deserved to be Comeback Player of the Year over Demar Hamlin, who literally came back from the dead to resume his physically demanding job of being a professional athlete with no drop-off in performance. With voters like these, who needs enemies, I guess. DeMeco will make them eat their votes next year after the Texans win their first (of hopefully many) Super Bowls.

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Texans QB C.J. Stroud 'won't look at' Lombardi Trophy until he's in the Super Bowl

Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud wouldn’t look at the trophy the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will play for in Super Bowl LVIII.

Tyler Greenawalt
texanswire.usatoday.com
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BRB Groupthink: Houston Texans Free Agent Targets

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports Who do the writers think the Texans should sign in free agency I am writing this as Houston rookies completely sweep the NFL Honors. The Texans have successfully drafted the Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year. What a time. Plus, Houston enters the offseason with the fifth most salary cap space according to Spotrac. They both have their future in hand and are able to invest in winning now. What a time to be a Texans fan. With that, I asked the Battle Red Blog writers the following: As approach the Super Bowl and official start to the offseason, which free agent targets are you most looking for Houston to sign? Vballretired: It always depends on price. Ideally I’d like to see the Texans get another wide receiver to pair with Collins and Dell. Getting into specifics is hard. Mike Evans would look really good in a Texans uniform, but that would be on a short term contract considering he’s on the wrong side of 30. I’d like an upgrade at running back as well but that’s also tricky given the candidates and their likely asking price. So, I’ll stick with Evans as a qualified answer. L4blitzer: Bit of an interesting switch in that Houston has legit cap room and a team that has shown it can be good, to a point where targeted free agents can actually make a difference. While it is early and we don’t know who all Houston will retain and/or what other teams will do, this year’s free agent class seems to have plenty of DB/DL options that Houston could and should look to for shoring up some defensive deficiencies. Someone like Kendal Fuller or Antoine Winfield Jr. would be quality additions to this squad, especially if they can help the Free Safety gaps. Wouldn’t cry any tears if we ended up with an interior lineman like Justin Madubukie or Christian Wilkins. Not saying we will end up with any of those, but they would certainly help and are the type of players Houston could and should target in free agency. Patrick.H: Much like the draft, I don’t like to pine for particular players in free agency. Because when the Texans inevitably don’t sign the players I want, I will be disappointed. So instead, I’ll say that I want them to get a real bell cow RB on a short term deal to (hopefully) pair with Singletary and hope like hell Dameon Pierce can bounce back to his first year form. I also want a reasonably-priced WR2 or WR3 to add to the corps including Collins and Dell. And I’d really like to get a second CB to free up our draft needs. Kenneth L. : I am fully anti Saquon Barkley and Mike Evans. Evans will be 30 - nothing against the player but the return on investment for WRs after 30 is a bad deal. For Barkley, the guy wants to get P-A-I-D. Yes, we have the money.... but does that mean we need to spend it all in one place? I don’t see the point in spending all this capital on a RB if we can’t first figure out how to actually run the ball. My top players are S Antoine Winfield Jr., CB L’Jarius Sneed, LB Frankie Luvu, D’Andre Swift, and A’Shawn Robinson. Sure, Winfield Jr. and Sneed are top defensive targets, but both would be cheaper than Evans or Barkley. Houston needs to continue it’s strategy of signing quality free agents on valuable contracts with a ‘prove it or lose it’ mentality.

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Oh what a night! Texans triumph in Las Vegas

It was a memorable evening for the Houston Texans at last night's 'NFL Honors' award ceremony

Drew Dougherty
www.houstontexans.com
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Texans News: Houston linked to top free agent RB Josh Jacobs

Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports Your one-stop shop for Houston Texans, local sports, and news from around the league for Friday, February 9, 2024. Houston Texans News Here’s the historic season for Texans rookie C.J. Stroud (ESPN.com) 2023 NFL re-draft: Who Texans would pick if C.J. Stroud went No. 1 (Texans Wire) Texans’ C.J. Stroud says win over Jags earned him NFL respect (Chron) Texans tabbed as potential landing spot for top free agent RB (Toro Times) Texans have high next-team odds to land 2 free agent RBs (Texans Wire) AFC Notes: Trevor Lawrence, Tank Dell, Jaguars, Texans, Titans (NFL Trade Rumors) NFL News Chiefs GM prioritizing re-signing Jones, Sneed (ESPN.com) Brady ‘surprised’ Belichick wasn’t hired for HC job (ESPN.com) Source: Brian Belichick will remain with Patriots (ESPN.com) After cancer, OT Williams eyes ‘fairy tale’ SB win (ESPN.com) Badgers’ Fickell hopes Vrabel can be around team (ESPN.com) NFLPA says 92% of players want grass over turf (ESPN.com) Mahomes OK being ‘villain’ if Chiefs keep winning (ESPN.com) Out-of-work Bieniemy made playoff visit to Chiefs (ESPN.com) Offering up a do-over of the 2023 draft (ESPN.com) Houston & Collegiate Sports NBA trade deadline: Rockets hold off on deals with eyes on 2025 (Chron)

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Texans owners thank Andre Johnson following Hall of Fame announcement

Andre Johnson was one of the first draft selections ever when the Houston Texans took him No. 3 overall in 2003. He was just their second first-round selection in franchise history after the team h…

John Crumpler
texanswire.usatoday.com
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Texans Legend Andre Johnson has been elected to the Pro-Football Hall of Fame!

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports The Houston Texans finally have a player going to Canton. It’s about time. Andre Johnson is finally going to Canton. The first truly great player in Houston Texans history will be enshrined in glory after being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. ANDRE JOHNSON IS IN! The longtime Houston Texans wide receiver has been elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame! pic.twitter.com/wwYlVd1p1u— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) February 9, 2024 Johnson played with the Houston Texans for 12 seasons and a couple of other teams after that who are not worth mentioning in the same breath as Andre Johnson. As a Texan, the seven time Pro Bowler racked up 1,012 receptions for 13,597 yards and 64 touchdowns and was elected in his third year of eligibility for the Hall. It was a long time coming and he frankly should’ve gotten there way sooner than 2024, but I can’t complain too much about the fact that ANDRE JOHNSON IS GOING TO THE HALL OF FAME! Now if you will excuse me, I will be checking prices for airfare to Cleveland. Because I’m going to Canton come [kitten] or high water. Next up for Canton: J.J. Watt. And don’t drag your feet next time, Pro Football Writers.

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John McClain goes behind the scenes with Andre Johnson for the Hall of Fame’s ‘big reveal’

“I don’t know if it’s really sunk in yet,” Johnson said. “It might not until I walk across that stage in Canton.”

John McClain
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Andre Johnson become Houston Texans' first Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee

Former Houston Texans All-Pro wide receiver Andre Johnson secured his place in NFL history as the Texans’ first Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, the NFL announced on Thursday night as part of the 13th Annual NFL Honors ceremony.

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Texans DL Will Anderson Jr. wins Defensive Rookie of the Year award at NFL Honors

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports That’s two awards for the Texans tonight. Guys, gals, non-binary pals, we got two rookies of the year now! As of a few minutes ago, Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. won Defensive Rookie of the Year at the NFL Honors. Can anyone remember the last time two rookies of the year came from the same team in the same season? I’m genuinely asking because I don’t know how fast I can keep up with news with all these awards coming fast and furious to H-Town. Your 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year is @HoustonTexans LB Will Anderson Jr. as voted on by NFL on FOX fans! pic.twitter.com/1Pgiju0M2i— NFL on FOX Podcast (@NFLonFOXPod) February 7, 2024 This is going to be a short post because I suspect (based on nothing, just a feeling) these two awards will not be the only ones the Texans come away with tonight. Let’s go Texans!

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Houston Texans DE Will Anderson Jr. named Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year

Anderson’s 7.0 sacks this season set a new franchise record for most sacks by a rookie in a single-season and his 67 pressures led all rookies in the NFL this year.

Houston Texans Public Relations
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Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud named Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud has been named the Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, the NFL announced tonight as part of the 13th annual NFL Honors ceremony. Stroud is the first player in franchise history to garner the honor.

Houston Texans Public Relations
www.houstontexans.com
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Bills QB Josh Allen is 'a big fan' of Texans QB C.J. Stroud

The Buffalo Bills quarterback will face off against C.J. Stroud at some point in 2024.

Tyler Greenawalt
texanswire.usatoday.com
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The Value of Things: Evaluating the Texans offensive linemen

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports Are there any spots the Texans need to upgrade? One of the more enduring things about sports is the notion of the narrative. In the sports world it is something we say over and over again until it takes on a life of its own. Some of these are positive narratives and some are negative. The Dallas Cowboys choking or Dak Prescott shrinking in the big game has become a narrative. The same is true with Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. One of the things that we teach our English students is that emotional appeals are often the most powerful ones. These narratives are often based on feelings and we can’t let facts get in the way of your feelings. Some of these narratives are unavoidable. The aforementioned Cowboys haven’t advanced to an NFC championship game this century. Obviously, there are strong feelings there, but it is also a fact that it is hard to ignore. For the Houston Texans, the overwhelming narrative has long been that the offensive line sucks. It’s like a bad shopping cart that pulls to the right no matter which way it’s facing. No matter who it is doing the blocking they are labeled as bad. Certainly, there is always some truth to the narrative, but it is also true that the Texans invested more capital in their offensive line than any other unit. The problem with evaluating linemen is that there are few concrete numbers we can point to. Yes, there are sacks, pressures, and rushing yards per attempt but even those numbers have all kinds of other factors that get involved. We do have PFF grades 60 seems to be the line of demarcation on those numbers. Anything below 60 is problematic, Anything above 60 is at least passable with 70 and 80 as lines of being a solid starter or potential all-pro. In particular, we want to note the difference between their run blocking pass blocking numbers. RG Shaq Mason Snaps: 1,201PFF Run Blocking: 65.8PFF Pass Blocking: 64.7 Mason represents something of an enigma and a symbol for this offensive line. He was durable and better in run blocking. Those are two things literally no one else on the line could say. Yet, these numbers indicate he was solid and not great. Still, he is paid like he is good. Both Tytus Howard and Laremy Tunsil (who we will get to later) are also highly paid. Somehow, improvement will have to come from somewhere and I’m not sure this will be one of those slots. RT George Fant Snaps: 1,004PFF Run Blocking: 51.9PFF Pass Blocking: 68.4 Fant was signed to be a swing tackle, so these numbers have to be taken in that context. I wouldn’t go as far to say that Fant was the best free agent signing that Nick Caserio made, but he is probably in the top five. Like most of those guys, he was a one year contract guy. Like most of those guys, he is great in the role he was originally cast in, but it will be a question of money and opportunity moving forward. Does he see himself as more than a swing tackle? LT Laremy Tunsil Snaps: 965PFF Run Blocking: 66.7PFF Pass Blocking: 84.9 As I write this, the Texans have just been penalized five yards for a false start. Okay, I kid because I care. There is never an opportune time to get flagged pre-snap, but Tunsil was more responsible than most for these. Tunsil is quick off the ball. It is one of the reasons he is an elite pass blocker, but it probably draws an extra two or three flags over the course of the season. He is a perennial Pro Bowl guy, so he should get paid. The question is whether that pay warrants everything he brings to the table. Tunsil is okay as a run blocker, but he will likely never be good. He is an elite pass protector. Is that good enough for this offense? C Michael Deiter Snaps: 781PFF Run Blocking: 55.2PFF Pass Blocking: 59.4 Like Fant, you have to look at Deiter through the prism that he was signed for. He was not supposed to be the starting center. That was three or four guys ago depending on how you view the position. He was better than Scott Quessenberry (who may or may not have been the original starter) but then again just about everyone in the league was better than Quessenberry. He was a one-year contract guy. As someone that can play center or guard in a pinch he can be quite valuable, but if he is getting the bulk of the snaps anywhere on the line it could be a very long day for everyone involved. LG Juice Scruggs Snaps: 584Run Blocking: 50.8Pass Blocking: 49.6 There are any number of ways to look at Scruggs’ season this past year. You could say that he played out of position because of injuries to himself and others. You could say that his hamstring injury really derailed his season and he should be better with a healthy offseason working on things in the building. You could also look at the second round placement and wonder why this team can’t seem to get it right upfront. All of these things can be true at the same time. It is impossible to ignore that the performance simply wasn’t there this year. I’m willing to give him a pass, but it has to get better or this is another wasted pick. C Jarrett Patterson Snaps: 454PFF Run Blocking: 62.9PFF Pass Blocking: 53.7 The story of the 2023 season will be how the Texans offensive line was blown up from the start. Patterson was technically the third starting center after Quessenberry and Juice Scruggs. He performed admirably under those conditions. He was one of two regular linemen better on run plays than passing plays. The job might end up being his next season depending on what the Texans do in free agency and the draft. If we see reasonable growth from year one to year two he might end up being at least average as a starting center. LG Tytus Howard Snaps: 408PFF Run Blocking: 49.6PFF Pass Blocking: 38.9 For the love of everything holy, please stop moving this guy to guard. This is two different regimes that have tried this and it has blown up in their face each time. He is a solid right tackle. He is probably a little better than George Fant overall and I understand the concept of putting the best five guys on the field at the same time, but you can find a better left guard anywhere. You are paying this guy a ton of money. Put him where he will perform the best and that is absolutely as the right tackle. T Charlie Heck Snaps: 253PFF Run Blocking; 56.3PFF Pass Blocking: 39.3 Whether a draft pick is good or not always depends on your definition of success. Heck has played a good amount of snaps each season as a mid-round selection. I can’t argue with people that take that as a measure of success. Others would ask whether they have been good snaps and that is an entirely different question. Like most of the other backups, he has value as a guy you can throw in when no one else is available. He is relatively cheap and that is another check in his favor, but if he is your swing tackle you better pray your starters stay healthy. T/G Josh Jones Snaps: 233PFF Run Blocking: 52.2PFF Pass Blocking: 55.8 Jones was a starting tackle for the Arizona Cardinals and came here after training camp when Caserio tried to cobble together a working offensive line. He didn’t perform well, but that also could be blamed on having to learn a new offense in short order. Both Jones and Heck saw their rookie deals expire this past season. Jones may have a chance to be a good swing tackle with a full offseason in the building learning the offense. Like with everything else, it will be a question of price. G Kendrick Green Snaps: 208PFF Run Blocking: 56.3PFF Pass Blocking: 69.9 Like Jones, Green was a late addition when linemen started dropping like flies. He has one more year on his rookie deal, so there is no reason to do anything with him. He actually played admirably as a guard until he himself was also hurt. Like most of the other guys, he shouldn’t be a starter, but he could be a spot starter in the right circumstances. LG Kenyon Green No snaps Green is the poster child for blown draft picks on the offensive line. There has been radio silence on his recovery from his various injuries. There were also personal concerns. We have no idea what is going on there either. Let’s assume the best and assume he is physically and mentally healthy. From there it is a question of whether he will translate whatever physical ability he has into actual performance. I’m sure they are hoping for the best, but they have to have a good backup plan in case he isn’t better.

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J.J. Watt considered unretiring to join the Texans

Texans great J.J. Watt admitted he considered a return to the NFL to play for his old team last season.

John Crumpler
texanswire.usatoday.com
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IMPORTANT night ahead for the Houston Texans

Several Houston Texans, past and present, are up for some accolades this evening at the 'NFL Honors' show in Las Vegas.

Drew Dougherty
www.houstontexans.com
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Texans QB C.J. Stroud says teams stopped treating him like a rookie after Week 3

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud earned the respect of opposing defenses after just three games into his rookie season.

Tyler Greenawalt
texanswire.usatoday.com
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Texans have high next-team odds to land 2 free agent RBs

The Houston Texans have a lot of cap space and could use it to upgrade their backfield in 2024 and beyond.

Tyler Greenawalt
texanswire.usatoday.com
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Could Saquon Barkley join the Houston Texans?

Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK The immediate upgrade H-Town’s running game needs Welcome to the off-season rumor mill where anything is possible and football fans such as ourselves will discuss literally everything we believe will improve our team. This time around, it’s upgrading the Houston Texans ground game by bringing in a solid veteran tailback, Saquon Barkley. The current New York Giant might hit the free agency pool this spring if the G-Men don’t slap him with another franchise tag. Spotrac has Barkley at an estimated $9.9 million, which is doable for a team with nearly $60 mil in cap space. The 5-year vet, drafted #2 overall out of Penn State in 2018, would pair nicely with current RB1 Devin Singletary. This duo would then take some pressure off new franchise quarterback C.J. Stroud, allowing offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik to open up his playbook even further in 2024. That is, if the offensive line gets, and stays, healthy. Bleacher Report The Houston Texans are a general manager’s dream right now. They have an exciting team with a young quarterback in C.J. Stroud who just won a playoff game in his rookie season and has four more years of a cost-controlled contract. That’s going to allow them to get aggressive over the next few offseasons while putting together a team that head coach DeMeco Ryans can push to multiple playoff runs. The Texans are flush with cash heading into the 2024 offseason. They rank fourth leaguewide in cap space right now with around $66 million. For context, the three teams in front of them—the Washington Commanders, Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots—all parted ways with their head coaches this offseason. The Texans have a lot of elements in place to have one of the NFL’s best offenses next season. When healthy, Tank Dell and Nico Collins were great receivers for Stroud, while Devin Singletary racked up a career-high 898 rushing yards behind the offensive line. Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik should also make Houston an appealing landing spot for Barkley. He’s been so impressive in his rise to his current role that he interviewed with five teams this offseason for their head coaching vacancies. Barkley would give the Texans a dynamic dual threat in the backfield that could help them build on their shocking 2023 success. Should the Texans get Saquon Barkley? pic.twitter.com/OiO2vXbiOP— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 2, 2024 PFF.com Houston got all it could out of free agent acquisition Devin Singletary, and it appears upshot 2022 rookie Dameon Pierce is not a great fit in the run scheme. Barkley can get to the edge well in outside zone and make defenders miss in space while also taking pressure off C.J. Stroud. The Texans should have had a much higher pass rate in 2023 and too often deployed a run-run-pass sequence, but Barkley is also an asset as a pass catcher and pass blocker. The #Texans are +220 to land Saquon Barkley, +450 to land Derrick Henry and +500 for Josh Jacobs… https://t.co/GGFkMB1Kl0— Nick Schwager (@NickSchwagerNFL) February 6, 2024 With Derrick Henry’s name in the mix, which thundering running back would better suit the Texans? Or, is general manager Nick Caserio better off fishing in the draft pool for a ground game hammer? With running backs falling in the draft a little further every year, could Caserio roll the dice and hope to land Jonathon Brooks of the Texans Longhorns? If not Brooks, Florida State Seminoles’ Trey Benson also seems like a solid option.

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