Let’s be honest with each other about the Houston Texans for a moment. They have had a lot of issues since the time ran out on the 2020 NFL season, and probably further back than that, as this franchise has been in a tailspin since the playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Jan. ’20 in the divisional round.
That loss has caused many major moves to happen in the Houston Texans franchise. Fast-forward from that moment in time to the current offseason, and decisions are still being made that are either changing the franchise in a positive manner or in a negative one, depending on your own personal view of the situation.
The decisions that have been made by the Texans have included saying goodbye to the greatest to have played in franchise history. Moves also have been made that have made us all think and wonder if that is really going to help the franchise in the long-term.
With first-year general manager Nick Caserio running things, and there being a new first-year head coach being David Culley, there might be a great amount of NFL and football experience between the two but no experience in their current roles.
Now it is time to talk about underrated moves made by the Houston Texans organization, and next are five underrated moves that have been made for the best interest of the organization whether we agree with those decisions or not.
David Culley on guys who have stood out at OTAs: "It's hard to do that during this time, that's what training camp is going to be for us ... these guys have done everything that we've asked them to do ... in training camp, that's when we'll find out who our team is." pic.twitter.com/k5bU7lSXNX
— Rivers McCown (@riversmccown) June 9, 2021
No. 5: David Culley as the new head coach
Many wanted Eric Bieniemy to be hired as the new head coach of the Houston Texans and for good reason because he is a talented football coach. In the end, even though he was on the wish list of fans, the move made by Houston was to hire veteran NFL position coach David Culley to lead the on-field decisions, as he was most recently the assistant head coach with the Baltimore Ravens.
Why is this an underrated move made by the Texans this offseason? It is simple, with the way the rebuild of the current Texans roster is taking place, a coach that has been coaching football for over 40 years in some way, shape or form is a solid addition to be with a first-year general manager who has also been a part of a winning organization during his tenure in the NFL.
Culley has seen probably everything a coach can see in the NFL at one time or another and has coached many great players, including as recent as Lamar Jackson while with the Ravens. The coach position for the Texans is going to have many tough times ahead in ’21, so Culley at the helm on the sidelines is an underrated move for the Texans this offseason.
No. 4: Drafting Nico Collins in the third round
Drafting wide receiver Nico Collins was one of the bolder moves made by the Houston Texans this offseason. The reason isn’t because of the talent level possessed by Collins, but for the simple fact the Texans in rebuilding their roster traded three draft picks to move up to the 89th overall pick to select the Michigan wide receiver, who didn’t play a collegiate snap in 2020.
Collins can become a special player for the Texans in future seasons. To select Collins, even without a ’20 season, that makes this move impressive because he has a chance to start games and make an impact this season for Houston starting in Week 1.
What is exciting about Collins being on the roster is the Houston Texans need to replace Will Fuller on the roster, and the choice of the Michigan wide receiver makes a lot of sense because he is fast and strong with proof being he ran the 40-yard dash at 4.43 seconds being 6’4″ and 222 pounds.
Collins is signed with the Texans for four years after signing a contract for nearly $5 million, so he’s happy, the Texans should be happy, and when the results start to happen, many will realize there should be more talk about the move the Texans made during the ’21 NFL Draft.
No. 3: The addition of Marcus Cannon and Justin Britt to the o-line
Here is a move by the Houston Texans that nationally isn’t getting much attention, but when the Texans added right guard Marcus Cannon and center Justin Britt to their depth chart, and most likely the starting lineup, the offensive line of the team improved before a single snap was taken.
Cannon was on the opt-out list for the ’20 season due to COVID-19, and Britt also didn’t play in ’20 due to recovering from an injury and the opt-out list as well. Both o-linemen should be rested, healed up and ready to show they are still capable of achieving success.
Britt joined the Houston Texans via free agency this offseason and should take over as the starting center since Houston released Nick Martin. Britt is a solid NFL veteran, and if he can rebound from his ’19 injury after missing the entire ’20 season, this move will more than pay for itself as he’s on a one-year contract for $1.5 million with a $500,000 signing bonus.
With the addition of Cannon, the right guard spot improved, and it will be very important to see how he goes from tackle to guard, as he’s very capable of doing so. Cannon will most likely play alongside Tytus Howard on the right side of the o-line, and that duo could really help the offensive line improve from what we have seen in recent seasons.
No. 2: Signing Phillip Lindsay could bring huge rewards
The move to sign running back Phillip Lindsay to the roster is one where it is high reward and low-risk for the Texans and even Lindsay himself. There is potential with the free agent addition of Lindsay to become a 1,000-yard rusher again if he challenges incumbent starter David Johnson.
There is also the fact that Johnson and Lindsay can become a very solid duo for the offense of the Houston Texans because with the quarterback situation still an unknown, maybe early on the running game will have to set the tempo for this franchise each week.
Lindsay’s contract is friendly to the Texans because it is a “prove it” deal, being that it is for one year and $3.25 million, with a $500,000 signing bonus. That is a lot of money for all of us, but for NFL contracts that is a bargain if Lindsay can produce like he once did a few short seasons ago with the Denver Broncos.
Lindsay has been a 1,000-yard rusher in the past with the Denver Broncos, and now with him potentially sharing time with Johnson and even some carries with Mark Ingram II, the hope with Lindsay is he rises to the top of the depth chart and makes a difference for this rushing game in Houston. The talent is still there for Lindsay, but it will be up to him to show everyone he’s still capable of being a lead back in the league. If so, what a move made by Nick Caserio this offseason.
No. 1: The insurance policy known as Tyrod Taylor
The Houston Texans not only needed a Plan B this offseason when it came to the starting quarterback position, but a Plan C and Plan D as well. Plans C and D are Jeff Driskel and rookie third-round pick Davis Mills, but Plan B really jumps off the page as maybe the best move made this offseason for the Texans.
That decision was the sign free agent quarterback Tyrod Taylor to the team following trade demands by Deshaun Watson. The Texans’ decision really paid off when Watson had some off-the-field lawsuit issues still pending, and the fact Deshaun Watson seems like he doesn’t want to be with the team.
Taylor has had some ups and downs in the NFL during his 10-year career, including last season when he was replaced by a rookie after missing Week 2 with an injury that wasn’t even his fault. The Los Angeles Chargers choosing Justin Herbert over Taylor was the gain of the Houston Texans this offseason.
At least the Texans know they have a quarterback who has in-game experience and a QB who has multiple 3,000-yard passing seasons. Having a quality quarterback signing with all that surrounds Watson at the moment was the most underrated move made by the Texans this offseason.
Though Taylor isn’t the same-level quarterback as Watson, he has seen a lot during his time with four other NFL franchises, and he was considered a starter last season before his Week 2 injury. Taylor doesn’t need to be and won’t be Watson when on the field. All Taylor needs to do in ’21 is have more positives than negatives each game.
There have been other moves made by Houston this offseason that really stand out, but the five just mentioned seem to be the most underrated so far by the Houston Texans.