Houston Texans 3 Biggest Needs: Upgrades in secondary
The Houston Texans have completely outperformed expectations here in Bill O’Brien’s first season at the helm, because they have managed to make do without a legitimate franchise quarterback, and they also had to deal with Ryan Mallett’s injury. Ryan Fitzpatrick is nothing more than a stopgap, but he’s been a pretty good one this season, especially since he has plenty of talent at the skill positions around him. DeAndre Hopkins, Andre Johnson, Arian Foster, and Alfred Blue are all impressive players, and you can only imagine how good this offense will be when the TEs are integrated properly and when the team finds a franchise QB. That will obviously be the No. 1 need for the 6-6 Texans in the offseason, but there are a few other positions that could use upgrades.
1. QB
I’ll just start off with the most evident position of need for the Texans, and the worry here is that they didn’t fully take advantage of their opportunities to draft a franchise QB in a draft class with better QBs than will be present in 2015. That said, Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, Brett Hundley, and Connor Cook have legitimate franchise value, even if Winston has major off-field concerns and Hundley has substantial concerns as they relate to making the transition to the NFL game. Going 6-6 is definitely a good thing, but the only drawback is the fact that it makes it harder for the Texans to find a franchise QB. That said, whichever QB they pick will have an advanced group of weapons around him, especially since Foster and Blue can support an offense out of the backfield (Foster has been the second-best RB in the NFL this season behind DeMarco Murray, and he’s done it without an elite line).
It’s too early to start picking QB targets for the Texans, because we don’t know how the QBs are going to stack up, and, more importantly, we don’t know where the Texans will be picking in the draft. I’m sure we’ll hear veteran QBs connected to the Texans, and Brian Hoyer will be the most prominent one for a variety of reasons, including his connection to Bill O’Brien.
2. DB
The Texans cornerback duo of Kareem Jackson and Johnathan Joseph is quite solid, but they should add some reinforcements behind those two, especially since Joseph is 30 now. Adding some depth should be the priority at corner, but safety is the bigger need for the Texans. I was a fan of their decision to pick up Danieal Manning. but he’s 32 and on a one-year deal. The Texans need to find a legit long-term replacement at free safety next to D.J. Swearinger, and it has to be someone who can excel in coverage downfield and help Joseph out when bracketing No. 1 receivers. These safeties are hard to find, but I think the Texans need to go after a difference-maker. Kendrick Lewis runs a 4.73 forty, and that should tell you what you need to know about his ability to hang with the top receivers in this game; he just isn’t fast enough, nor is he good enough in coverage to be the kind of player the Texans need at free safety.
3. RT
Right tackle is less of a need than I expected, and that’s because Derek Newton has blossomed as a run blocker, and it’s come to the point where this isn’t actually a major need for the Texans offense. That said, it would be wise for the Texans to add an offensive tackle, because the name of the game these days is pass protection. While Newton can move the pile in the running game, he’s always allowed far too much pressure, and the Texans will likely draft a franchise QB. If so, that will increase the importance of having a solid bookend of tackles, and Duane Brown could use a partner in crime on the other side of the line.
I know some people might be inclined to put tight end here, since the Texans TE trio has been a massive disappointment after being highlighted as an underrated strength. None of these guys have blocked well, and that’s really hurt the offense. But I’ve also been surprised at O’Brien’s usage of them, which is to say that I’m not impressed. Things will get better for the Texans tight ends, so I don’t view that as a true need for this organization.