During the time where the Houston Texans aren’t playing any football games and the team is getting things prepared for summer camps, it is always fun to think about past players and how they would mix in with the current roster of the Texans.
Today, let’s take a look back at the past of the Texans and combine it with the present and future of the franchise by thinking about three former players from the franchise who are extremely needed for the ’22 season, as they would help make the team competitive once again when they were in their prime.
To make it more interesting, the names Arian Foster, Andre Johnson or J.J. Watt won’t be appearing on the list because the three greatest players to ever wear the Houston uniform are already a given to make any Houston roster better when they were at their best.
We will have one all-time great on this list though, because he should have never been traded in the first place, but more on him below.
The players that will be mentioned will be players who will be an upgrade at the spot if there were on the team, and players maybe the Texans should have never let get away in the first place.
The following three former Houston Texans players would make the ’22 team better
Texans Stats (7 seasons)
- 632 receptions
- 8,602 yards receiving
- 54 touchdowns
Let’s face it … even though it has been a couple seasons now, there is still some pain in the fact that Houston doesn’t have DeAndre Hopkins, and looking at how that trade has turned out for Houston, well, it wasn’t a win-win, to say the least.
David Johnson is no longer with the franchise and he didn’t produce much in his tenure with Houston (214 carries, 919 yards, six rushing TD’s). The trade also included a second-round pick that turned into defensive tackle Ross Blacklock, who is still with the team, and a fourth-round pick as well, which the Texans traded.
As for Hopkins, at his best with the Texans he was one of the greatest players to ever wear the uniform, and if he were on this current roster, Hopkins would have made Davis Mills so much better his rookie season.
Houston has added John Metchie to the mix, drafting him in the second round of the ’22 NFL Draft, but Hopkins is a future Hall of Fame candidate with over 10,000 career receiving yards.
Hopkins makes all quarterbacks better, and he’s a player Houston could really use this upcoming ’22 season, even with the wide receiver scheduled to miss the first six games this upcoming season due to a suspension.
Texans Stats (1 season)
- 8 passes defensed
- 2 interceptions
- 1 fumble recovers
- 3 sacks
- 5 tackles for loss
- 4 QB hits
Even with the addition of rookie safety Jalen Pitre from the 2022 NFL Draft, having Tyrann Mathieu on the roster this season would have made a huge difference if it was the Mathieu that played one season with Houston back in 2018.
Mathieu was a big difference maker for the Texans in that one season as they reached the Wild Card Round of the playoffs and were AFC South champions. Though that season ended poorly against the Colts, Mathieu in ’18 with the Texans was fun to watch.
Mathieu would be huge for not only improving the Houston defense, but he’d be an excellent player for Pitre to learn from at the safety position.
Houston is still working on improving all aspects of their defense, and a lot of change has happened to the unit since the end of last season, but looking back into the past of Houston’s defensive players, it has been tough for the Texans to replace Mathieu on the roster after they let him walk to free agency after his one season with the team.
It worked out well for Mathieu though, he ended up becoming a Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs, and well, we all know how things have turned out for the Texans since he’s left the franchise.
After three seasons with the Chiefs, Mathieu is now a member of the New Orleans Saints, so even as a veteran he’ll do good things with his new team, and once again the Texans let him slip away from their franchise in free agency.
Texans Stats (8 seasons)
- 385 receptions
- 4,617 receiving yards
- 29 touchdowns
Many have tried to replace Owen Daniels since 2014, but none have been the player he was with the franchise from 2006-13 and for good reason … Daniels was one heck of a football player and maybe the most undervalued player to ever wear a Houston uniform.
Daniels played in 100 games for Houston, making 96 starts in his eight seasons with the franchise. Though Daniels finished his career with one season stints with the Baltimore Ravens and the Denver Broncos (where he won a Super Bowl), he’ll always be remembered for the player he was while in Houston.
Isn’t it true that though the Texans have had some good players at times to play tight end, nobody has been as consistent over the number of seasons that Daniels was when he played for the Texans.
Imagine if Davis Mills had a tight end as talented as Daniels on his offense, and maybe this year the Texans finally have, but until it actually happens, the Texans have never truly replaced the player that Daniels was in the mid-2000s.
Daniels — a two-time Pro Bowl selection — averaged 12 yards per reception during his Houston tenure, while also at least five touchdown receptions in three of his eight seasons, with a career-high six in 2012.
What are your thoughts on the three players listed? Would you like to see these players when they were are their best playing for the ’22 Houston team? What players would you add to this list, and who would you replace?