With Houston Texans training camp full steam ahead, it is time to start looking toward the regular season. Over the course of the offseason, this organization made countless moves in order to stay on track in competing within the AFC South.
Not only that, but the Texans did enough to warrant being labeled a true contender. Behind the leadership of DeMeco Ryans and the arm of C.J. Stroud, this team is in a great position for the foreseeable future.
In camp, though, we're going to start to see the roster come into shape, which means that a good chunk of players won't end up making it through and onto the final 53-man roster.
Which players are in danger of not making it out of camp? Let's dive into a handful.
Texans players who won't make the final roster
Robert Woods, WR
This first one is more so out of respect for the veteran. Robert Woods is in a crowded wide receiver room, alongside Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, Tank Dell and company. Woods could go help another contender and in a bigger role, therefore it is unlikely he ends up sticking to the roster in the end. Whether it be via cut or trade, Woods should end up on a different roster.
J.J. Taylor, RB
Another fairly-crowded room is at running back, where the Texans have Joe Mixon, Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale atop the chart. However, they did recently sign Cam Akers, which muddies the water even further. One guy who won't make it out with a full-time job in Houston? Because of an abundance of talent, J.J. Taylor will not.
Tim Boyle, QB
This is pretty easy to explain. The Texans aren't going to keep their fourth quarterback. They'll stick with C.J. Stroud, Case Keenum and Davis Mills.
Dalton Keene, TE
At tight end, the big name is obviously Dalton Schultz. But, between the veteran Brevin Jordan and rookie Cade Stover, that doesn't leave much room for a guy who was only active in a single game for the Texans last season.
Quintez Cephus, WR
When the Texans signed Quintez Cephus, fans had to wonder just what this organization is thinking. Again, they have an overabundance of talent at the wide receiver position. Cephus offers some explosiveness, but he's too far behind on the depth chart and won't find himself a permanent job.
Troy Pride Jr., CB
The secondary saw a lot of changes over the offseason, too, with guys like C.J. Henderson and Jeff Okudah coming in via free agency, along with Kamari Lassiter in the draft. There are even a couple more guys between those and Troy Pride Jr., which doesn't give him much hope to make the final 53.
Max Tooley, LB
Max Tooley went undrafted and is a 26-year-old rookie who is lucky to have gotten a shot to begin with. While it's fun to root for guys like him, there isn't much of a path to see him make this roster, especially since the team invested a sixth-round pick in Jamal Hill, who plays on the inside like Tooley.
Kurt Hinish, DT
The Bills completely revamped their defensive line, so a guy like Kurt Hinish who has played sparingly in his first two seasons, is likely headed for the chopping block. Houston brought in Denico Autry (suspended six games), Mario Edwards, Tim Settle, Folorunso Fatukasi and Derek Barnett in free agency, all of whom should find themselves ahead of Hinish on the depth chart.