The Houston Texans were one of the worst teams in the NFL last season, so it wasn't particularly shocking to see them undergo a makeover this offseason. While they made several important acquisitions in free agency, they also moved on from players that previously held key roles.
Some of their losses will have a bigger impact than others but it's highly unlikely that Houston will miss these three players. Conversely, they would've surely loved to keep a couple. Enjoy!
3. Player the Houston Texans won't miss in 2023: Rex Burkhead, RB
The Texans found a diamond on the rough in running back Dameon Pierce in last year's draft. The former Florida Gator toted the rock 220 times for 934 yards with four touchdowns as a rookie. Had he not suffered a high ankle sprain late in the season, he would've surely crossed the 1,000-yard mark.
When Pierce missed time, Houston had to lean on a combination of Dare Ogunbowale and Rex Burkhead, who ended up not doing much of note. While Ogunbowale remains on the roster, Burkhead left in free agency and remains unsigned.
The decision to sign Burkhead in 2021 always seemed baffling though. A sixth-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2013, the Nebraska product signed with the New England Patriots in 2017. He became somewhat of a fantasy football darling after reaching the end zone find times in his first season in Foxborough.
However, Burkhead was an afterthought throughout most of his tenure in Foxborough, racking up 253 carries for 1,026 yards with 11 touchdowns throughout his four-year tenure.
The Texans didn't probably expect Burkhead to play at a Pro Bowl level when they signed him but they probably envisioned more than the 3.4-yard-per-carry average he posted with them over the last two years.