Houston Texans: 5 Preseason Training Camp Battles to Watch

While the Houston Texans have most, if not all, of their starting spots set in stone, there are still plenty of intriguing position battles to watch out for as the preseason progresses.

We all know newly acquired CB Johnathon Joseph is the number one, but will second-year CB Kareem Jackson stay as a starter in the number two spot?

What about back-up to RB Arian Foster? Who will be his lead blocker now that FB Vonta Leach is gone?

The good news about Houston going forward is that the winner of each of these battles will leave you happy. A lot of talented football players are competing for these jobs and hardly any of them are getting a chance simply because they have no one else on the roster. 

Here are five battles to watch going forward.

1. Starting FB: James Casey vs. Lawrence Vickers

FB has been a position that has seen diminished importance in the NFL over the past several years, but not in Houston.

Vonta Leach was very instrumental in getting Arian Foster some key lead blocks to get Foster to top of the NFL in rushing.

Leach has left in free agency, leaving the starting position up for grabs.

The in-house option is James Casey. A TE coming out of Rice University, Casey has shown his versatility since coming to Houston.

He showed that he can catch passes out of the backfield in the preseason game against the New York Jets, and he has underrated toughness.

Lawrence Vickers is an absolute bruiser. He can come in and take a few licks to opposing defensive front sevens and clear a lane for Foster.

He has the experience edge on Casey, which will be why he will remain on the squad come Week 1 no matter what.

Ultimately I see Vickers winning the starting job, but that does not mean Casey will not have a role on this team.

I think you will see Casey line up at multiple positions on the offensive side of the ball and really become an offensive threat.

2. RB #2: Ben Tate vs. Derrick Ward vs. the Injury Report

The Houston Texans RBs have seen a lot of injuries over the past week or two.

Derrick Ward left the Monday night preseason game vs. the Jets early and is doubtful for the next game against the New Orleans Saints, along with Steve Slaton.

Arian Foster has even been injured for a good amount of time as well, as he missed the preseason opener.

However, one man's misfortune turns into another man's opportunity. Chris Ogbonnaya came into the Monday night opener and shined, scoring a pair of touchdowns and providing a big spark to Houston's offense.

Ultimately, if healthy, this battle comes down to Ben Tate and Derrick Ward.

Ben Tate was a second round pick and was set to take the starting job last year until he ended his season due to injury. That paved a way for Foster to shine.

Tate has loads of talent and the coaches like him, so if he can stay healthy, he will most likely back Foster up.

However, I am very excited about the amount of depth the back field has and because of the zone blocking scheme Gary Kubiak has in place, any RB on the roster could probably come in and be very productive.

3. CB #2: Kareem Jackson vs. Jason Allen vs. Brandon Harris

The Texans had an awful secondary last year and that is well known. Wade Phillips and the rest of the Texans defensive coaching staff are working very hard to fix that.

Johnathon Joseph is of course the number one back but recently, the play of Jason Allen has people wondering if Kareem Jackson, the team's number one CB last year on the depth chart, will even start. 

Rookie Brandon Harris a very long shot to win the job but is still not out of it. It will take some spectacular play to overtake Jackson and Allen.

The Houston Chronicle's John McLain reported Jason Allen has really caught the eye of Gary Kubiak.

"He's done a heck of a job," Kubiak said of Allen's play, "and we're going to play our two best guys."

The big thing that Kubiak has liked from Allen is his overall effort. He has made some nice plays on balls during camp and obviously has done well enough to catch the eye of his coaches.

Gary Kubiak has a history of staying very loyal to his players and will more than likely stick with Jackson in Week 1.

However, with Allen closing in behind him, do not be surprised if a change is made early in the season.

4. Punter: Brad Maynard vs. Brett Hartmann

Yes, punter made the list. I am a firm believer that good special teams is often undervalued in the NFL.

Matt Turk, who left in free agency, will be missed.

Why will he be missed? He was not very good at pinning teams deep but he had very good hangtime on his punts, which translated to few return yards against. He was eighth in the NFL in that category amongst punters with at least 50 punts last year.

Brad Maynard, who signed a one-year deal to compete with rookie Brett Hartmann, ranked 16th in that category. He also ranked 17th in the NFL in pinning teams inside the 20 yard line.

Hartmann has been praised for his hangtime on his punts and pinned opponents inside the yard line last year for Central Michigan a little over 37 percent of the time.

Compared to a little over 32 percent for Maynard.

This is tough to call but I'd give the edge to Maynard, simply because his experience leads me to believe he knows situational punting better. Hartmann could try to be too aggressive when he does not have to.

5. Starting DT: Shaun Cody vs. Earl Mitchell

While it would be nice to see a big 300+ pound lineman plug up the hole in the new 3-4 defense, Houston lacks that.

However, new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips is not worried.

He likes what he sees from Shaun Cody and Earl Mitchell. As opposed to needing to be a big man to take on two blockers and two gaps in a traditional 3-4, Phillips just requires his nose tackle to be responsible for just one gap. Meaning they do not need a big 300 pound man.

Cody has been a journeyman for the past seven seasons and is looking to find a home in Houston. He has been described as a good technique guy that never makes mistakes, according to Phillips.

Mitchell is a second year player with a lot of upside and talent. He is quicker and a better athlete than Cody but his youth means he will make those mistakes Cody avoids.

Cody is taking the most snaps with the first team and is expected to start because of his experience.

However, because of his upside, do not be surprised to see Mitchell move up the depth chart later in the season.