Breaking Down Houston Texans' Roster After the 2015 Draft
The draft might only be a few days old, but the Houston Texans already have a classroom of new names to learn.
Seven drafted rookies and up to 19 undrafted free agents might have a chance to make the roster. Rookie minicamps start this weekend, so we’ll be closer to knowing which faces might be around in July come training camp.
The Texans have done a great job at finding talent in the "forgotten pile" of free agents in the past few years. The first three rounds of the draft were super strong, so filling out the roster shouldn’t be difficult for coaches.
Vacancies at backup spots will be hot, though, since most of the starters are comfortable locks until the season gets going. Nothing is certain at quarterback yet, and even things at wide receiver could get interesting.
We’re still ages away from the Texans dwindling the roster down to 53 men. Here’s a look at who the likely starters are before camp begins.
Quarterback
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Ryan Mallett
Ryan Mallett still has to win the starting job in training camp, but it could be his to lose. He made his first-ever start in 2014, and after throwing for 211 yards and a couple of touchdowns in Week 11 against the Browns, he is definitely the favorite.
You could say that Mallett is inexperienced since he’s only played in seven games during his four-year career. Signing a two-year deal earlier in March shows the Texans do have some faith in him, though.
Brian Hoyer
The Texans didn’t sign Brian Hoyer to be the long-term answer. They signed him to bring a veteran presence to the position and compete with Mallett, which is what Hoyer should do in the lead-up to the season.
Hoyer has the upper hand as far as experience goes, but his accuracy lets him down. He’s familiar with Bill O’Brien’s system from their New England days, but after a year of Ryan Fitzpatrick, starting Hoyer would be the definition of insane.
Tom Savage
Rookies and inexperienced quarterbacks aren’t really O’Brien’s thing. Tom Savage’s rookie year last season showed potential until he was injured in Week 15, but he’s still the odd man out on the depth chart.
Savage showed some skill in the pocket during his limited playing time last season, which was a good indicator considering he was thrown into the deep end suddenly. He could realistically compete for the No. 2 job on the roster, but if Mallet was injured, the Texans would still turn to an experienced hand like Hoyer first.
Undrafted Free Agents: Kevin Rodgers
Running Back
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The workhorse is still a top-five running back in the NFL. Switching and swapping at the quarterback position last season didn’t stop Foster from posting a 1,246-yard season, and his massive year receiving also helped carry the offense.
Foster’s future might be a little murky in the long term with only a couple of years left on his contract. He’s still the most productive zone runner in the game, though.
Alfred Blue
Blue has been training with Adrian Peterson during April and seems to acknowledge he needs to be bigger and stronger if he wants more carries in 2015. It’s great that he’s working harder, especially since Foster is now 30 years old and not exactly the healthiest running back in the league after so many injuries.
Blue should receive a lot more playing time next season. Despite wanting to get stronger, he already has great power but will need to average more than 3.1 yards per carry if he really wants to see more of the ball.
Jonathan Grimes
The backup role well and truly belongs to Blue, and following the drafting of Kenny Hilliard and signing of Chris Polk, the third-string role is totally up for grabs.
It’s going to come down to a camp battle, but Grimes does have the familiarity with the Texans’ playbook and some decent blocking and quickness going for him.
Chris Polk
As a Philadelphia Eagle, Chris Polk was nothing more than a benchwarmer, which is the same fate that probably awaits him in Houston. Alongside Grimes and Hilliard, though, Polk definitely has the best chance at becoming the third man.
Nobody really knows what to expect of Polk because we haven’t seen that much of him. He’s simply someone to keep an eye on right now, but after playing a role in the Eagles’ win over the Giants in the final game of 2014, Polk is definitely going to compete hard at camp.
Kenny Hilliard
It was perplexing to see the Texans draft Hilliard in the seventh round over the weekend. Perhaps Blue, a former teammate of the rookie, knows something we don’t, but Hilliard has potential bust written all over him.
Power and strength aren’t problems for Hilliard. He’s a one-cut running back who lacks serious vision.
Also on the Roster: Ben Malena
Wide Receiver
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DeAndre Hopkins
DeAndre Hopkins led the Texans in receiving yards last season, and now he leads the entire position as the No. 1 target.
In his third year Hopkins is expected to excel even more in 2015. He no doubt carried a lot of the offense on his back last season and will have even more responsibility now that his mentor, Andre Johnson, has left the building.
Jaelen Strong
The rookie wide receiver drafted in the third round still has to prove he is who the Texans think he is before the season begins. The field is all Strong’s though, and he should line up opposite Hopkins this season.
Strong is the red-zone threat the Texans have been after for years, and even though he isn’t a mark on Johnson, he should be good for more touchdowns and yards after the catch.
Cecil Shorts
Shorts led the Jacksonville Jaguars in receiving yards and touchdowns during his four-year career before signing with the Texans earlier this offseason. Prior to the Strong selection, he might have been looking at more playing time, but Shorts figures to be a perfect fit for the slot position this season.
Nate Washington
Entering his 11th season, Nate Washington isn’t as exciting a signing as he might have been six years ago, but the Texans still found a veteran with reliable hands who can come in when the offense needs a first down.
Washington is best remembered for his big 2011 season with the Tennessee Titans. After winning two Super Bowls in Pittsburgh, he should provide leadership to young rookies like Strong and Keith Mumphery on the roster.
Damaris Johnson
Surviving roster cuts will be a big challenge for Damaris Johnson this year, and although he has some nice speed, drops and two fumbles last season don’t help his cause.
Also on the Roster: Keshawn Martin, Uzoma Nwachukwu, Alan Bonner, Keith Mumphery
Undrafted Free Agents: Jace Davis, Travis Labhart
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Tight End
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Garrett Graham
Signing a three-year deal this time last year, Garrett Graham faces more competition with Ryan Griffin at the tight end spot. Both players severely underperformed in 2014, and now questions abound about Graham’s production.
At 28 years old, it’s not like Graham is at the age where he’s losing a step. He is capable of a big season, like he had in 2013, but quarterback play has hurt his performance.
Ryan Griffin
Griffin’s 10 receptions last year for 91 yards and a touchdown were poor. Since the Texans are likely to push forward with Graham/Griffin as a combo, the two will need to combine for not only better numbers but better pass blocking as well.
C.J. Fiedorowicz
The Texans could have drafted another tight end in the mid-rounds of this year’s draft, but it looks like they’re willing to give 2014’s third-round selection, C.J. Fiedorowicz, another year to prove himself.
He will always be fighting for time as long as Graham and Griffin are around. Now that he’s had a year to learn the playbook, familiarize himself with the offensive line and learn protections, he could surprise the coaches in camp and the preseason.
Also on the Roster: Anthony Denham
Undrafted Free Agents: Khari Lee, Mike McFarland, Ross Travis
Offensive Line
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Surprisingly the Texans fired offensive line coach Paul Dunn back in January. Ranking fifth in rushing, the offensive line progressed enormously last season and should continue to move forward.
There will be some shuffling around this year, and the usual competition at the guard position is ongoing. Losing veteran center Chris Myers hurts and likely forces Ben Jones into the starting job, which gives rookie Xavier Su’a-Filo another chance to earn a start at left guard.
At the tackle spots Derek Newton and Duane Brown are easy Week 1 starters. It’s crazy to think this time last year the right tackle position was a huge question heading into camp, but Newton has earned some praise after working hard in practice and having a solid season.
As far as depth goes, the Texans should feel confident too. Tyson Clabo showed last year that he can fill in as a wily veteran behind Newton at right tackle. Meanwhile, David Quessenberry enters his second year as a pro.
With so many quarterback swaps and drama under center, the Texans offensive line showed great resilience to protect the pocket. The worst game came against Tennessee where the line allowed five sacks, but if the Texans had a franchise quarterback, life would be a lot easier overall.
For years the Texans have been a zone-stretch running team, and it’s always paid off. Bill O’Brien has added some versatility since stepping in, but if the line can become even better at opening holes, it should evolve even further.
Defensive Line
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The Texans defensive line is the scariest part of the team. Like the offensive line, it’s welcoming a coaching change with Paul Pasqualoni coming in, alongside free-agent signing Vince Wilfork.
Wilfork and J.J. Watt should be enough for any team to seriously reconsider its approach when playing the Texans. Don’t discount sixth-round selection Christian Covington, though, a late steal who could really shake things up.
The starters on the defensive line need no explanation. Wilfork should see plenty of starting time, and so should defensive end Jared Crick after posting 3.5 sacks last season.
Watt has been working out like a madman this offseason, so he’s going to set the bar even higher. After adding three undrafted free agents (Carlos Thompson, Dan Pettinato and James Rouse), the Texans could wind up gaining some depth once they test those guys out.
Linebacker
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Whitney Mercilus
Overpaying Whitney Mercilus earlier in the week is a hot topic in Houston right now. Regardless, the Texans have committed long-term and expect even more production out of him. Competing with Watt in terms of numbers will always have Mercilus coming off second-best, but after replacing Connor Barwin a few years ago and then being moved aside for Jadeveon Clowney, he’s done a good job of grasping the starting job despite putting up OK numbers last year.
Jadeveon Clowney
Losing Brooks Reed means the Texans will go with Mercilus and Clowney on the outside. Whenever Clowney is healthy, he’ll move straight back into the starting role, but he will be used at the "Jack" opposite Watt on most occasions.
As a hybrid defensive end/linebacker, Clowney has a lot of time to make up for. He’ll be highly effective eventually but will still need time to jell with a defense that now has a few new faces.
The pressure is on Brian Cushing to produce. His one-sack, one-forced-fumble season last year doesn’t really cut it, and if he doesn’t lift his game in 2015, there’s nothing to say he won’t be trade bait.
Following a relatively healthy season, Cushing can’t afford to have minimal impact in the pocket this year. There is now some serious depth behind him, and at 28 years old, this could be his final season to show that he’s still the demon defender we know he can be.
Akeem Dent
It’s good to know the Texans' trade with the Falcons in June last year kind of paid off. At inside linebacker Akeem Dent filled in nicely during the seven games he started but still struggled in coverage despite showing promise stopping the run.
Dent is far from guaranteed the second starting role at the other inside spot, although the Texans did reward him with a two-year contract. Second-round pick Benardrick McKinney will likely make sure Dent has to fight hard in camp.
Benardrick McKinney
Trading up to draft McKinney in the second round was huge from Rick Smith on Day 2. As a pass-rusher, McKinney will bring an overdose of physicality, and he’s the kind of player who could realistically line up on the inside or outside or even as a defensive end.
There are still a lot of concerns regarding his coverage skills though and whether or not he can keep up with the speed of an NFL pass rush. The Texans would be foolish not to give him serious playing time, at least in the preseason. But he’s likely to wind up as a backup contributing on special teams in his rookie year.
Also on the Roster: Max Bullough, Jason Ankrah, Kourtnei Brown, Reshard Cliett, Mike Mohamed, John Simon, Jeff Tarpinian, Justin Tuggle
Undrafted Free Agents: Lynden Trail, Tony Washington
Secondary
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Cornerback
It might not be straight away, but first-rounder Kevin Johnson will be a starter in the secondary sometime this season. Johnathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson are the favorites to hold their jobs through camp, but a player with Johnson’s skill should see the field when Houston takes on some of the best deep receivers on the schedule.
It’s been said a hundred times, but Johnson was drafted to be Joseph’s replacement one day. His coverage is exceptional, just like his speed, and if Johnson can show improvement stopping the run, that day might come soon.
Combining for five interceptions last year, Joseph and Jackson had an unproductive time together. Off the field, Joseph’s injury history and age (31) might make him a time bomb after this season.
Also on the Roster: A.J Bouye
Undrafted Free Agents: Le’Vander Liggins
Safety
Trade speculation surrounding D.J. Swearinger have been popular this offseason, and after ignoring the position during the draft, the Texans will move ahead with free agents Stevie Brown and Rahim Moore.
Things have been interesting at safety for a while in Houston. The team didn't re-sign Danieal Manning, and the coaches' faith in Swearinger seemed to spiral down as the season wore on.
Right now Moore looks to be the starter opposite Swearinger at the free safety spot. Brown hasn’t seen a ton of playing time recently, but he should pan out as a reliable backup. The Texans also have Eddie Pleasant on the roster who can replace Swearinger at strong safety, but this is definitely the position to watch as the season begins to unfold.
Also on the Roster: Lonnie Ballentine, Josh Aubrey
Undrafted Free Agents: Quinn Backus, Kurtis Drummond, Corey Moore
Special Teams
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The Texans’ special teams were flat last season and have been concerning for some time. Damaris Johnson, Danieal Manning and Keshawn Martin shared return duties, but neither player was particularly fantastic.
Newly drafted rookie Reshard Cliett is likely to fight for time at linebacker this season, but if he makes the final roster, he could bring some of his strength to special teams. The same goes for sixth-round selection Keith Mumphery, who could help out in the return game.
Jaelen Strong is also an option as a returner, but it remains to be seen how delicately the Texans treat him. Martin was averaging 6.2 yards per punt return toward the end of last season—that doesn’t bode well for a struggling offense in need of better field position.
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