Houston Texans steal Marlon Mack away from Colts in free agency

The Houston Texans lost one of their own players to the Indianapolis Colts last year in Keke Coutee.

This time, it’s the Texans’ time to steal a division rival’s skill player. On Friday, the Houston Texans announced that they had signed Marlon Mack. Mack has done pretty well for being in a backup-like role over the past few seasons.

Mack has 184 carries for 746 yards and seven touchdowns in his career against the AFC South, which bodes well for the Texans. At this point, Mack will most likely be the starting running back over Rex Burkhead. Mack and Burkhead can create a “thunder and lightning” tandem in the backfield, adding nuance and depth to Pep Hamilton’s offense.

Mack’s lone 1,000-yard season came in 2019. Unfortunately, that was his last real productive season as the Colts drafted Jonathan Taylor in 2020, and the rest is history. It’s also worth noting that Mack only played one game in 2020 as well.

Slowly but surely, the Houston Texans are improving on paper

Nick Caserio hasn’t made any splashes in free agency besides the Deshaun Watson trade. But that’s fine, as this is a true rebuild. The top free agents aren’t going to willingly come to a franchise with a current state like that of Houston.

It’s all about laying the foundation and the infamous quote, “If you build it, they will come.” That refers to the Texans gradually over time, signing quality players that help change the course and perception of the team.

With an improved offensive line, Mack should have some sort of a renaissance season. Mack has the potential to make house calls, just like this clip above. It’s a low-risk move that carries a lot of upside.

Let’s hope Mack can make an impact on Houston’s rushing game this season. Welcome to Houston!