Houston Texans: 4 offensive players who could be cut
1. Sammie Coates, Wide Receiver
Can Sammie Coates make his name for the Houston Texans and stay on their 53-man roster once the preseason comes to a close? That is the goal of Coates, but whether he can is a whole new story for the fourth-year player from Auburn.
Coates played his first two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and 20 games later he was gone from their roster with 22 receptions for 446 yards and two touchdowns. Last season with the Cleveland Browns, Coates played in 12 games where he had six receptions for 70 yards, and his longest reception was for 38 yards.
This preseason, Coates hasn’t been that impressive either with four receptions for 38 yards and no touchdowns in two combined games. Yes, it is the preseason, but for a player who is a third-tier wide receiver on the Texans depth chart, his numbers and production will have to be better to stay with the franchise in 2018.
Coates does have the abilities to return kickoffs as in 2016 he had six returns for 150 yards, including five returns of 20-plus yards and one return of 40-plus yards. The Browns didn’t return kickoffs with him in 2017.
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Having a player like Coates could be beneficial to the Texans for special teams, but what needs to be asked is whether he is able to prove to the Texans he can be a versatile player and be a player who can catch passes when needed but also help with the special teams. That is where his value is, but now it will be up to Bill O’Brien and the coaching staff to decide if that value is worth keeping him in a coveted roster spot.