Houston Texans Morning Huddle–Mercilus’ Impact

Here are your daily Houston Texans for Sunday:

How Mercilus and Miller will affect the Texans by John McClain, Houston Chronicle

"Let’s start with Mercilus, who recorded career highs with 12 sacks and 52 tackles and played so well he should have been voted to his first Pro Bowl.Mercilus, who turns 26 in July, is playing in his fifth season. He and Watt (17 ½ sacks) were the most prolific one-two sack punch in the league.He also accumulated 14 tackles for loss. If he picks up where he left off last season, there’s no telling what Mercilus can accomplish.Playing in his second season with defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel and linebackers coach Mike Vrabel, Mercilus got off to a slow start when it came to getting the quarterback. He didn’t have a sack in his first five games, then exploded when he became more comfortable in Crennel’s system."

Whitney Mercilus finally looked like the player he was meant to be after being taken with the 26th overall pick out of Illinois last season. However, I’m not completely sold. Nine of his 12 sacks came in the two games against the Jaguars and the first game against the Titans. Both of those teams were among the worst in pass protection last season. He needs to do it against the good teams too.

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The good, bad and more for 2016 by Russell Baxter, NFL Spin Zone

"Now it’s time to check out the intriguing Houston Texans. This was a team busy this offseason upgrading its offensive unit. The defending AFC South champions overcame a 2-5 start this past season to capture the division.Every organization has both its positives and negatives heading into any season. Enclosed is a concise reminder of that, while we will be offering up some interesting statistics as well."

Well, they tried to fix the bad in the draft…

Candidates for a Breakout Year by Sam Weaver, NFL Mocks

"In the draft, they went heavily after speed and physical skill.In addition to their new playmakers, Houston will need some of their current players to step up if they want to move to the next level.  Exceptional play on all fronts is a must if the Texans want to contend for a title this year.  They have the pieces, it is just a matter of everything coming together.As the Texans  look to make a deeper push in the playoffs, here is a look at a few players who are poised to have a breakout season in 2016."

I agree with Clowney, Kevin Johnson and Benardrick McKinney. However with Strong and any of the tight ends, they already seem to be phasing them out of the offense with Will Fuller and Braxton Miller.