Houston Texans Emerge as AFC Favorite with Brock Osweiler
By Dan Salem
The Houston Texans are rising fast in the AFC after adding some key pieces. Brock Osweiler is poised for success and his new team is a new favorite.
We’re tackling each team in the league, traveling alphabetically to debate their biggest offseason issues. Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream, and debate sports.
TODD:
The Houston Texans addressed their biggest team need the first day of NFL free agency, signing quarterback Brock Osweiler to a four-year, $72 million contract. They also replaced the oft-injured and now-released Arian Foster with a more reliable player in Lamar Miller. I love what the Texans have done.
It hurts that they lost guard Brandon Brooks in free agency, but they added Jeff Allen and have the makings of a workable offensive line. If Jaelen Strong develops into a legitimate second option at receiver opposite DeAndre Hopkins, what’s not to like about Houston? We already know the defense is amazing.
So then it all comes down to Osweiler. He enters and immediately becomes the second-highest paid player on the roster after JJ Watt. Is that good for him? It seems like artificially inflating expectations even though, I suppose, everyone knows their season rests on his shoulders no matter what level of deal he received.
I liked what I saw from Osweiler last season, but I am unable to separate whether that was actually good football or just preferable to the Broncos’ other quarterback last season.
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The truth is, even simply competent quarterback play for the Texans could vault them to the top of the AFC pecking order, especially with what should be a much-improved ground attack with Miller. They still have a few more holes to fill and pieces to add, as well as the draft obviously, but I think Houston has to be feeling great about 2016 and at the expense of one of their conference competitors, the Denver Broncos.
DAN:
Brock Osweiler is in a great situation and the Texans are one of the AFC favorites next season because of it. He played very well for the Broncos and will now lead a similarly built team in Houston.
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Osweiler doesn’t have to be great, as you noted, but he’s going to do very well. He got his big contract and his own team to lead. With Hopkins and Strong on the outside, and the potential to add another receiving threat in the draft, Houston’s offense has a lot for Osweiler to work with in the passing game. But he won’t have to do it all, since Houston’s running game got a major upgrade.
Lamar Miller has been on fantasy football players’ radars for awhile, but might finally break through with the Texans. He put up over 1000 yards on the ground in 2014 and over 800 last season, to go along with an average of 300 yards receiving each year and nearly 10 touchdowns. He’ll be a major asset for Houston’s offense, which now belongs to Brock Osweiler.
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The Texans are in great shape for 2016 with a few solid free agent moves. The AFC South is their division to win once again, putting Houston in control in the AFC.