The Texans aren’t expected to perform well in 2021, yet these four players could have a big say in how the team’s initial rebuild stages go.
There’s an awfully good chance the Houston Texans wind up with the worst record in the NFL this season under first-year head coach David Culley.
That might be OK. After all, Culley and Co. are looking at an extensive rebuild over the coming seasons and one which probably won’t include embattled and disgruntled quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Watson wants out. That’s no surprise, and there’s a chance it could end up happening in the very near future.
If so, one of Houston’s captains will be gone, following in the footsteps of another former captain, EDGE J.J. Watt, who managed to force his way off the team earlier this offseason.
Leadership and performance on the field will go a long way towards driving the culture Culley wants to implement, meaning these four players could end up being key cornerstones for the Texans over the course of 2021.
No. 4: Texans wide receiver Brandin Cooks
One of the many knocks against Houston entering this season is the lack of pass-catching weapons in Culley’s arsenal.
Particularly after watching wide receiver Will Fuller depart to the Miami Dolphins.
True, the Texans added Michigan wideout Nico Collins in the NFL Draft. But being a rookie and having opted out of the 2020 season, Collins remains a project at this point. Nothing more.
Instead, the focus has to go through veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
Cooks, Houston’s leading yards-getter last season with 1,150, now finds himself in a much more important role than he would have experienced if Fuller was still in the fray. Considering the lack of receiving depth around him, Cooks will be forced to use his speed and separation ability to make life easier for whoever Culley elects to start at quarterback.
Likely the veteran, Tyrod Taylor, whom we’ll get to in a moment.
Regardless, if Houston’s passing offense is going to have any sort of success, Cooks will need to play a major role.
No. 3: Texans Running Back Mark Ingram
No, the Texans didn’t bring aboard 31-year-old veteran running back Mark Ingram to be a bell-cow rusher. If anything, David Culley is going to be looking at other running backs like David Johnson and Phillip Lindsay to capitalize on the successes they each had earlier in their respective careers.
Still, this doesn’t mean Ingram lacks importance.
Ingram, who was pushed out of the limelight with the Baltimore Ravens last year to the tune of just 299 rushing yards, worked with Culley the previous two years in Baltimore. And it’s not uncommon for first-year head coaches to bring aboard players from their previous systems to help acclimate other players to what’s expected.
This probably helps explain a good deal why Ingram was an offseason free-agent target.
Another reason, though, is Ingram has proven to be a winner for a long, long time, including three Pro Bowl appearances and seven playoff games played.
A young team going through a rebuild needs veteran leadership, and there’s little questioning how Ingram can provide it.
Even if Houston doesn’t plan on having Ingram as a long-term part of its future.
No. 2: Texans Safety Justin Reid
2021 should be the season in which fourth-year safety Justin Reid takes a big lead in terms of a leadership role.
Now one of the elder statesmen of the Texans secondary, at least in terms of tenure with the team, the 24-year-old Reid finds himself entering a contract year and could set himself for quite the payday if he winds up having an outstanding campaign this season.
It won’t be easy. While Houston stockpiled its secondary with a number of veteran players this offseason, there’s still a general lack of talent at both levels. And the presumed lack of a pass rush will inevitably make players like Reid more susceptible to giving up chunk plays through the air.
But if we go back to Reid’s rookie year in 2018 after being taken in Round 3 out of Stanford, we can see the playmaking abilities are certainly there.
After all, his career-best 88 tackles and 10 passes broken up shouldn’t be viewed as a pure anomaly.
Those kinds of efforts will be what’s needed from Reid this season, as he looks to generate the needed chemistry within a defensive backfield that enters 2021 with more than a reasonable share of question marks.
No. 1: Texans Quarterback Tyrod Taylor
There’s no indication Deshaun Watson plays for Houston this season, meaning David Culley will have little choice but to turn to Tyrod Taylor for starting quarterback duties.
It’s not the worst possible option. Taylor, a journeyman, worked with Culley back with the Buffalo Bills in 2017 when the then-quarterbacks coach helped manage Taylor to a decent 14-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio over 14 starts on a rebuilding Bills squad under head coach Sean McDermott.
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No other position in the NFL draws more attention than the quarterback, and players all too often gravitate towards how their quarterback is playing.
In Taylor’s case, having bounced around the league over the course of his 10-year career offers up the kind of experience and understanding of different locker-room dynamics. Granted, this isn’t to say Taylor will light up Houston’s offense over the course of a 17-game season. If anything, the lack of pass-catching weaponry around him and remaining questions about the offensive line could make for a long, dreary year for the soon-to-be 32 year old.
That said, especially if the Texans are tempted to work towards rookie quarterback Davis Mills, Taylor could end up being a quality mentor and bridge option.
And his impact on the rest of the team could end up going a long way.