Houston Texans Team Hub (M18)

[Aestis]

(M17 thread: https://forums.operationsports.com/f...-team-hub.html)


Houston Texans 2017 Year In Review

REGULAR SEASON

From the get-go, the Texans were out of sync this season. The defense played well all year, but the offense's struggles were so dire the first half of the season that the scores often didn't show it. They repeatedly gave opposing offenses the ball within FG range, and rookie Deshaun Watson led the league in pick-6s. However, things did start to shift around week 10. Watson started to figure out how to play at the NFL level, and under the radar he rose to the league leader in passing yards. His completion % started to rise, and the offense started to score 20+ regularly instead of the low teens average they were hovering around to start the year. His passing TDs were quietly mounting & he cut down his INTs immensely. He looked like a shoe-in for AFC OROY. Then, in week 15, Watson went down with an injury that would end his season during a win over division rival Jacksonville, with that the Texans' second half of optimism came to a screeching halt. They would finish 7-9 after their disatrous 3-8 start, failing to reach .500 after entering the season as preseason favorites to win the division.


2018 OFFSEASON

Following their 7-9 season, tough decisions had to be made. GM/HC Francis fired his DC and moved the defense back to its more natural 3-4 scheme fit. While the pass rush & run defense were both solid in 2017, neither were the scary threat they should be for a front 7 boasting JJ Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, & Whitney Mercilus. Though Clowney & Mercilus had big years, Watt never emerged as the dominant pass rusher spending all his time in the interior facing double teams, and there were long stretches in games where the team had trouble setting the edge vs the run. Moreover, Brian Cushing never adjusted to his new role as a 4-3 LOLB and was released in the offseason with last year's 2nd round pick Zach Cunningham ready to step into the WILB role alongside Bernardrick McKinney.

Houston overhauled their DL, signing 345 lb Sealver Silga to play the NT and 325 lb run stuffer Jesse Williams to add further depth, allowing Clowney & Mercilus to move back to OLB (though both are expected to rush the passer from a down stance plenty on passing downs).

The secondary also saw a face-lift, with long-time Texan Jonathan Joseph's contract expiring. CB remains a weak spot for this team, with last year's nickel CB Will Redmond stepping up into a full-time starter spot opposite standout Kevin Johnson.

Meanwhile, the Texans drafted two safeties who will challenge for a starting spot day 1. 3rd round pick Dawson Robertson already looks like the best free safety on the team, exciting coaches enough that the incumbent starter, Andre Hal, was released following a preseason of poor play. Unexpectedly, their 6th round rookie out of Tulsa, Perry Diggs, is challenging projected starter Lonnie Ballentine at strong safety after veteran SS Gilchrist was not offered a contract to return this season. Diggs is raw in coverage but plays with the kind of physical aggressiveness in the run game that Texans coaches like out of their SS. Given Houston's dire lack of draft picks, plucking two long-term starters out of the bunch could be seen as a major win--if they play well. It also could simply be a sign of the desperation level of the Texans secondary.

But the biggest hole of all last season wasn't the defense, it was offensive line, and critics are right to question the Texans' lack of shoring up this unit. They signed young C Kyle Friend to a multi-year deal, and he may be thrust into a starting job out of necessity due to the struggles of incumbent RG Jeff Allen, but Friend is likely not a long-term solution. Texans brass will look to free agency to see if there are any options and will surely chase surprise preseason cap casualty Joe Thomas, but insiders say the Texans are not near the top of his wish list.

The Texans are a younger team than a year ago, but a below .500 season followed by no 1st or 2nd round pick in one of the most stacked NFL drafts in recent history took its toll and has placed them behind the 8-ball heading into the 2018 season. Can Deshaun Watson & Co. overcome the shaky OL and bring them back to the playoffs?

[Aestis]

2019 DRAFT

After a rough 2018 season that saw the Texans finish 6-10, the team found itself with dwindling overall talent & its stars beginning to show signs of age. After failing to add an impact starter in free agency, Houston only had two definite starters along the offensive line and a major question mark in the secondary. Picking 7th overall and entering their draft with all picks intact, HC/GM Francis knew this would be a make-or-break day.

1st Round (#7 overall)
The Texans had their eye on one of two elite CBs and were rewarded when Michigan St. standout Bryan Holsey survived Atlanta's trade-up. Holsey has immediately impressed in training camp and is immediately the 2nd best DB on the team. He lacks top-end speed, but his technique and hip control are elite for a rookie. Coaches think he could ascend to the #1 CB spot by the end of his rookie season.

Grade: A-



2nd Round (#39 overall)
After nabbing their corner early, Houston brass turned to their next glaring need: offensive line. While they had pieced together serviceable linemen over the previous two offseason, their hope was to land an immediate starter to help anchor the OL rebuild with their 2nd round pick. Luckily, Easton Kendall out of Wyoming fell surprisingly out of the 1st round. Francis had him as the #2 lineman prospect and was thrilled to take him at 39.

Grade: A



3rd Round (#71 overall)
Francis was ready to go in a number of directions in the 3rd, including backup QB or WR. One by one, tier-1 graded linemen fell off the board throughout the next 32 picks, but when #71 came up, Oklahoma team captain RG Austin Holcomb was still available. Holcomb had graded out as a top-tier lineman on the Texans' board and would be an immediate starter, so without hesitation they made the call to select him.

Grade: A



4th Round (#103 overall)
Interior DL has been an issue for the Texans the past couple seasons, and one of the team's goals this offseason was to beef up the front line. When run stuffing DE Josh Lewan out of Mississippi St made it past the 3rd round undrafted, this was another "gimme" pick for Texans brass. He will see immediate game time on early run downs as the new starting RE.

Grade: A



4th Round (#128 overall)
Entering the 4th, HC/GM Francis had multiple holes to fill and saw how their board was shaking out advantageously. They swung a trade with SB champion Green Bay Packers, picking up an extra 4th (#128) & 6th (#192) rounder in exchange for a pick next year. Their #1 target at the end of the 4th remained the same the entire round, as one by one the draft room saw unheralded but highly-graded BYU LT Sanchez Owens get passed over. When he made it all the way to 128, Francis wasted no time making the pick. Owens will have a chance to compete for a starting job at right away, possibly at RT.

Grade: A+



5th Round (#135 overall)
One need of the Texans coming into the draft was an upgrade at backup QB. This was an especially deep QB class, so they were keeping an eye on the best value as the draft progressed. In the 5th round they finally pulled the trigger, selecting QB Frank Fox out of William & Mary. While he projects to be a fine backup throughout his career, Fox was hurt in the first week of preseason and placed on IR for the season.

Grade: B+http://daddyleagues.com/awfl/player/17982126/attributes


6th Round (#167 overall)
In the 6th round, the Texans filled their hole at Punter, selecting C.J Rose out of Kansas State. While he doesn't project as a spectacular player, he should be able to win the starting job as a rookie.

Grade: B-
http://daddyleagues.com/awfl/player/17941426/attributes


6th Round (#192 overall)
With the final 6th round pick, the Texans selected K Chris Bortano who failed to make the 53-man roster after a lackluster preseason.

Grade: D


7th Round (#199 overall)
With their final draft selection, Houston picked up a big bruising power back out of Kentucky. While he will be hard-pressed to see snaps with Lamar Miller & Deontae Foreman ahead of him on the depth chart, he's a physical runner who could see some situational goalline carries.

Grade: A+




SUMMARY

The Texans walked away from the draft big winners: a budding star at CB, as many as three offensive linemen who may start immediately as rookies, and a starting RE, a punter, a solid backup QB, and a solid HB who could contribute at some point. 8 of their 9 selections made the final 53 and 7 of the 8 project to either start or contribute as rookies (the 8th being QB Fox who will miss the entire season with an injury).

There are no doubt going to be growing pains along the OL, in particular with 2-3 new rookie starters, and it's unclear who is going to play which spot along the OL. Whether or not all three start day one, the draft was a huge step forward in turning around the Texans' prospects and leaves the team set up well for the future.

Draft Grade: A