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Houston Texans: Pierre Thomas makes plenty of sense

By Kevin Parvizi

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Houston Texans elite running back Arian Foster looks ticketed for a trip to the short-term injured reserve after suffering a major groin injury during the team’s first fully padded practices of training camp, so naturally the focus has turned to the pile of free agent options available. Plenty of fans have been wondering if big names like Ray Rice or Chris Johnson will be options for the Texans, but it’s becoming clear that the team is zeroing in on Pierre Thomas.

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It all started when Lance Zierlein of Houston’s SportsTalk790 and NFL.com tweeted that he’s “pushing” his “chips” on Thomas getting the “first call” from the Texans. As plugged-in as they come, nobody was shocked when Zierlein’s tweet proved to be correct, as NFL.com colleague Rand Getlin reported that Thomas will work out with the team today.

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The Texans appear to be moving towards signing Thomas as soon as possible, and the fit makes plenty of sense for both sides. Zierlein himself as emphasized Thomas’s physicality as a reason for the Texans interest, as he tweeted that Texans head coach Bill O’Brien prefers physical backs, which is one reason why the team isn’t interested in adding CJ?K.

But the reason why I like Thomas is his pass-catching ability, because Foster’s injury takes away the Texans best pass-catching option out of the backfield. With an uncertain quarterback situation putting the Texans in a position to pick a “lesser of two evils” in either Brian Hoyer, who appears to be in the lead, or Ryan Mallett, having a pass-catching back has become more important for this team.

Thomas had as many receptions (45) as rushes (45) last season, as he took a definite backseat to rising New Orleans Saints RBs Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson (in addition to missing a handful of games). In the previous season, Thomas had a whopping 77 receptions, and that was even more than what then-teammate Darren Sproles put up.

Both the Washington Redskins and New England Patriots have been linked to Thomas at varying points in the offseason, but neither team is interested in signing him at this point in time. That leaves the Texans has his best landing spot, and with a desperate need to sign an RB who can catch passes and is tough enough to fit O’Brien’s scheme, Thomas is at his peak value on the open market.

At 30 and with only average success on the ground in the past two seasons, Thomas’s “peak value” isn’t high by any means. If he signs with the Texans, though, he’ll have a clearly defined role and will likely hoard third-down duties. Alfred Blue and Jonathan Grimes look like good bets to be the team’s second-down backs, and Chris Polk is another guy worth watching after the Texans added him this season. Throw in Kenny Hilliard into the mix, and the Texans have several backs who are in the fight for early-down roles.

Thomas, who averaged just 3.7 yards per carry in 2013 while tying a career-high 147 rushes, probably won’t play a huge role on the ground with Foster out if the Texans sign him, but at least he’s been productive on the ground in the past and can bring an extra edge to the Texans passing attack.

Dec 21, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans running back Arian Foster (23) rushes during the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium. The Texans defeated the Ravens 25-13. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

There are other interesting options out there for the Houston Texans, such as the more well-rounded Knowshon Moreno, but Thomas’s toughness and third-down work seem to give him a substantial edge. As per ESPN’s Josina Anderson, the Texans are hoping they can bring in Thomas for their joint practice sessions with the Redskins, who probably lost interest in Thomas due to rookie Matt Jones‘s impressive offseason work in the passing game, which is further indication that they have their eyes set on him.

I like the fit here, and Pierre Thomas seems to make plenty of sense for this team on paper. If someone like Grimes or even Blue can emerge as a legit early-down option who can move the pile, then the Texans could have a solid committee behind strong run blockers like Duane Brown, Derek Newton, and the always under-appreciated Brandon Brooks.

No running back means more to their team’s success than Foster, so he is indeed irreplaceable. But Foster’s lengthy absence doesn’t mean that the Texans can’t field a competent backfield group without him, so while they have an uphill battle in that sense, Thomas is a guy who can solidify things for them both on the ground and, most importantly, through the air.

Next: Which Texans Are Among NFL's Most Important Players?

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