Pierre Thomas, Texans Unable to Reach Agreement on Contract

Pierre Thomas had been a valuable running back for eight years in New Orleans, and despite meeting and working out with the Houston Texans, the 30-year-old will not be bolstering their roster with his services.

Lamont Smith, Thomas' agent, confirmed on Wednesday that the two sides could not strike a deal to bring the running back into the fold:

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The news comes after Mark Berman of Fox 26 reported the Texans intended to sign the veteran in the wake of starter Arian Foster's groin injury that is expected to require surgery, per Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com.

Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports weighed in on the news, saying Thomas was "holding out hope for some decent coin."

Despite the lack of agreement, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle noted the talks "could be revisited" and the two sides are "likely to remain in touch."

Head coach Bill O'Brien held tryouts for what will be an open spot on his roster, and Thomas was competing with former New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs running back Joe McKnight, as well as former Texas A&M standout Ben Malena, per Wilson.

Those players are now in the mix for the Texans after the failure to reach an agreement with Thomas.

Thomas had spent his entire NFL career with the Saints, but after they signed C.J. Spiller this offseason, they opted against bringing him back.

The raw numbers show Thomas can be a productive runner or pass-catcher. He's averaged 4.6 yards per carry in eight seasons, with 327 catches in 105 games.

Even so, Evan Silva of Rotoworld doesn't see him taking on the feature-back role wherever he lands:

Without Thomas to worry about, bruising youngster Alfred Blue figures to see his fair share of carries, as he was Houston's main backup in 2014.

As evidenced by this stat, though, Foster is essentially irreplaceable in the backfield:

With that said, Thomas is an extremely well-respected player in the league and should continue to generate interest as the preseason progresses. In fact, his former quarterback, Drew Brees, told Mike Triplett of ESPN.com last July that the veteran runner was the NFL's best all-purpose back:

"

You see these young guys (Mark Ingram, Khiry Robinson and Travaris Cadet) starting to pick up on a little bit of those traits, too. Sproles was great at it. But Pierre can do everything. He’s the best all-purpose back in the league in my opinion. Run, pass, screen game, pass protection ... you name it, he can do it.

"

Given the way teams love to use multiple backs and incorporate them into the passing game, either through screens or as blockers, Thomas could slot into multiple rosters around the league if openings emerge.

Foster has always been a big part of the Texans' passing game, and regardless of the direction the team decides to go in after missing out on Thomas, it will have to find a similarly multifaceted player.

As for Thomas, he isn't at an age or durability level where he can carry the load, but he would provide the most value getting 175-200 total touches per season.

For a 30-year-old back who isn't going to cost a lot, Thomas could be one of the biggest bargains any team signs this offseason.

He just has to stay healthy enough to justify it.