Status Check: Where Are the Houston Texans Two Weeks Before the Draft?

A little more than two weeks remain before the NFL Draft. 

Most teams have obvious strengths and weaknesses and the Houston Texans are obviously no exception.

With that being said, let's take a look at where the Texans are before the draft.

I'll address the offense today and will examine the defense later in the week.

On offense, the Texans have one of the most potent passing attacks in the league.

Matt Schaub is emerging as one of the top ten quarterbacks in the league. Andre Johnson is nearly unstoppable. 

A shrewd move the Texans made was resigning second wide receiver Kevin Walter.  Walter might not be the biggest guy or the fastest guy, but he's an ideal complement to Johnson.

Walter runs good routes, has a knack for getting open, and is a strong and willing blocker in the running game. Locking him up was a good move in terms of continuity.

A move that may be made soon is locking up tight end Owen Daniels. Whether he simply signs a one-year restricted free agent tender or a long-term deal, Daniels will be playing for the Texans next season.

While it may seem Machiavellian, waiting for Daniels to prove he is back from knee surgery before extending a long-term contract is a strong move on the organization's part. 

If Daniels is back to form, look for GM Rick Smith to lock Daniels up for four or five more years. If he's not back to full strength, another one-year contract could be in the cards. The Texans could also let Daniels walk if he's not up to par.

In the running game, the Texans entered the off season with a strong need for a running back to pair with Steve Slaton. 

In an ideal world, Slaton would handle the ball twenty times per game. Most of those would be on plays on the edges and in the passing game. Utilizing his quickness and skill in the open field should be a focus of the offense.

On the other hand, a back who can carry the ball late in games when opposing defenses know the run is coming and a back who can pound between the tackles is still missing. 

I don't put too much stock in what Arian Foster did down the stretch. Simply, the sample size was too small to accurately judge what he can and cannot do. 

Do talented players slip through the cracks and go undrafted? Sure. But are franchise backs often undrafted? No. 

All this means the Texans still need a bell cow. A back like Toby Gerhart from Stanford in the third round makes sense in my opinion. Auburn's Ben Tate as a mid-round pick is also a possibility.

Another way to improve the running game is by strengthening the offensive line. No Texan fan would really argue that the interior of the offensive line was a team strength in 2009. 

Signing Wade Smith to play either guard or center was a good move. Smith won't wow a lot of people, but he will make plays. 

Adding Smith and second-year player Antoine Caldwell on the interior of the line should improve the running game. Still, look for the Texans to add another interior linemen. Mike Iupati from Idaho would be an excellent addition to the team in the first round.

Finally, a move that has not made a lot of noise but could have a big impact is the change in offensive coordinators from Kyle Shanahan to Rick Dennison.

Shanahan joined his father in Washington. Taking his place is Dennison, who also came from Denver. Don't look for major changes, but the offense played so well under Shanahan, a step back almost seems expected.

Nonetheless, with top notch players such as Schaub and Johnson, I don't expect the offense to suffer too much. 

An improved running game seems likely, as Dennison served as the offensive line coach before becoming the coordinator in Denver. Shanahan, conversely, was a wide receivers coach before becoming a coordinator and his focus on the passing game is understandable.

Where do you expect more offensive changes to occur? 

Check back later this week for an update on the defense.