Texans morning huddle: Foster at wideout? Hoyer’s redemption?
By Randy Gurzi
Good morning Texans fans, and a happy Wednesday to you all. We are one day closer to Carolina, but it still feels like forever until the weekend. Hopefully news from around the web will help hold you over until then!
Breakfast: Arian Foster the wide receiver? – by Deepi Sidhu, HoustonTexans.com
"Arian Foster has contemplated a position change.One day, that is.I asked the four-time Pro Bowler if he would ever consider a position change to wide receiver when he was done being a running back. Less pounding plus fewer carries might add a few more years to the All-Pro’s NFL career.“It’s something I’ve thought about when I’m done playing running back,” Foster said in an exclusive interview with Texans Radio. “I feel like I could go out for receiver and I feel like I could make a squad.”Since he arrived in 2009, Foster has amassed 2,041 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns through the air. Last season, Foster became just one of seven players in the last 20 years to score at least five touchdowns receiving and five touchdowns rushing in the same season.He’d have a big learning curve mastering a whole new position, or would he?“Not really because I’m one of the more heady running backs you’ll find in the NFL because I’m a third-down back as well,” Foster said. “Not everybody in the NFL is a third-down back and you have to know coverages, you have to know this, you have to know that. I’m pretty well aware of those kind of things and my route-running ability has always been kind of on par with receivers because my father was a receiver so he taught me to run routes early.”"
Brian Hoyer can’t wait for the Texans’ offense to get another shot – by Tania Ganguli, ESPN
"After the Houston Texans’ season opening loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, a game he didn’t finish after starting at quarterback, Brian Hoyer went home to his wife and two kids and reset his mind.“That’s usually the best way to do it, whether it’s a win or a loss,” Hoyer said Tuesday after a Texans Care event at a local middle school. “Kind of just pulled back a little bit and just kind of put things in perspective.”It wasn’t long before Hoyer was again itching to return to the field and correct what he’d seen on film.“First game of the year, you want to come out and put your best foot forward,” Hoyer said. “There’s disappointment all around. you go in, you find out what you did wrong, fix those mistakes and get ready for the next week. So we’re looking forward to the challenge of playing Carolina, who was a playoff team, on the road. That’s going to be a great challenge.”During the game, Texans coach Bill O’Brien replaced Hoyer with backup Ryan Mallett. Hoyer had been sacked four times and the Texans trailed 27-9 when O’Brien made the switch. After the game O’Brien said he didn’t know if Hoyer was still the Texans’ starting quarterback. On Monday he said he would not announce who the starting quarterback would be before the Texans’ Week 2 game against the Carolina Panthers. He intimated, somewhat implausibly, that a substitution at the quarterback position wasn’t any different than a substitution at another position.Many expect Hoyer to remain the team’s starter, though Hoyer toed the company line when asked about his status. He declined to comment on whether or not O’Brien had told him yet who was starting.The Texans’ work on the Panthers began during training camp. They began working on their first two opponents during Week 4 of the preseason. Hoyer has confidence the Texans’ offensive problems can be fixed in short order."
Here’s how much the Houston Texans and its star player are worth – by Laura Furr, Houston Business Journal
"The Houston Texans have grown their value by more than $650 million since last year, but have dropped on the list of the most valuable teams in the NFL.According to Forbes’ “18th Annual NFL Team Valuations Report,” the Houston Texans are worth $2.5 billion this year, compared to $1.8 billion and a No. 5 spot on the list in 2014.Last year, a value of $2.5 billion would have placed the Texans in the No. 3 spot on the report, following only the No. 1 Dallas Cowboys and No. 2 New England Patriots who topped the list again in 2015.However, this year, the Texans’ multibillion-dollar value inked them only the No. 7 spot.According to Forbes, the average NFL team in 2015 is worth $2 billion. This is more than a 38 percent increase since last year’s team values, which might explain why the Texans dropped on the list.Forbes attributed the increase in value to new national broadcasting deals, which helped the NFL increase its revenue by $39 million.Additionally, the Texans revenue and operating income has increased again this year. Revenue for 2015 was $383 million, up from $320 million last year. Operating income was $114.6 million this year, up from $81.5 million in 2014.Meanwhile, the Texans’ star player, J.J. Watt, was ranked among the top-paid athletes in the NFL between June 1, 2014 and June 1, 2015. Watt, who recently signed sponsorship deals with NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE: NRG) and Papa John’s, earns a salary of $20.9 million and endorsements worth $7 million, Forbes reported. He was the fourth-highest paid athlete on Forbes’ list."
Texans keeping Hoyer-Mallett QB controversy going – by Kristie Rieken, Detroit Free Press
"Brian Hoyer was terrible in his Houston debut and benched for Ryan Mallett in the fourth quarter in a loss to Kansas City on Sunday.Now the question is whether Hoyer, the former Michigan State star, will keep his job or Mallett, the onetime Michigan Wolverine, will get a chance this weekend against Carolina.Coach Bill O’Brien said he knows who will start, but wouldn’t share it Monday and doesn’t plan to reveal his plan before Sunday’s game.“I’m not going to make a big quarterback announcement today,” O’Brien said. “You’ll have to wait until the first offensive play of the Carolina game to see who the quarterback will be.”Hoyer signed in the off-season and beat out Mallett in camp for the job. But on Sunday against the Chiefs, two turnovers by Hoyer put Houston in a big early hole that was too much to overcome in a 27-20 loss.Hoyer, who started 13 games for Cleveland last season, was intercepted on his first play and fumbled on a sack later in the first half, as the Chiefs rushed out to a 27-9 lead by halftime."