7 players that need to prove their worth during the offseason practices
By Chad Porto
OG Juice Scruggs
The Houston Texans are banking heavily on the development of Juice Scruggs. The now-second-year player did not have a good rookie year. Used as an injury replacement later into the campaign, Scruggs struggled a lot. He did improve as the season went on but you could tell he wasn't the most effective blocker from the jump.
His PFF grades weren't great, just a 51.1 overall, and grades of 49.8 for his pass blocking and a 54.7 grade for his run blocking. It wasn't the worst on the team, but it's far from the standard you're hoping for with a quarterback the caliber of C.J. Stroud. Scruggs is a Penn State alum, a school usually known for good linemen play, so the hope is that Scruggs was hampered by injuries to start the season. Since early injuries hampered him, the hope is that the Texans may see a much more improved and reliable blocker to start the 2024 campaign.
That said, he still needs to show he can be more consistent in camp. Hitting the weight room and working on his footwork will be keys to an improved outing in 2024.