Houston Texans Rebuild Situation

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ESPN

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The Houston Texans are bad. Like, Really bad. Over the last couple of years, their roster has been considered one of the worst in the NFL among common circles, and the rebuilding process for this team is a long and gruesome path. But if I were the guy in control of decisions surrounding the roster and building a championship team, this is what I would do…

1: Defense Has to Be First Priority.
Lovie Smith has the reputation of emphasizing turnovers on the defensive side. The Texans have already got a couple playmakers in last year’s draft that can force the offense to scramble and throw interceptions, but they are still underdeveloped, and it could take them a couple of years to fully start to play at a level that is expected from them, (Derek Stingley Jr., Jalen Pitre, and Christian Harris). I would sign a couple of veterans to the linebacker core. They could be excellent role models and examples of how an experienced NFL player handles their business. De’Vondre Campbell is a perfect case of the player archetype the Texans should look for on defense. He has played multiple years, and just had his best year yet, with 146 combined tackles.

2: Is Davis Mills the Franchise QB?
Davis Mills was one of the few upsides that the 2022 Houston Texans had to offer. His offensive statistics are the best out of all the qualified Quarterback rookies this season, (not named Mac Jones). He was second in quarterback rating, completion percentage, and had 16 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions. If I were running the Texans, I would watch this year’s output and see if Davis Mills is franchise QB material. If he is not, then we draft one in next year’s draft. If he does turn out to be “the guy”, then we build around him and acquire talent that would help him reach his true potential. Even if he does not reach the type of level that we want, he can be a great backup anyway. That’s a win-win for the Texans!

3: Start Spending Money!
The Texans are in a good position when it comes to financial flexibility. They have millions of dollars in cap space, and they could make a splash in the future. They could invest in a Wide Receiver or strengthen the defensive line with a player that can rack up sacks in bunches. The Texans have the ability to strengthen any position they want once they gather the base essentials. The Deshaun Watson trade handed the Texans many draft picks, giving them the opportunity to grab certain players that fit a need, and they wouldn’t have to spend millions trying to find one on the market.

Even if this scenario plays out exactly how I’ve laid it out, the process to achieve a playoff-caliber roster would still take years. Those draft picks could be traded, or certain players underperform, and some could even leave the team and become stars! The road ahead is incredibly challenging for the Texans, but they are on the right track, and one can only wait and see what the future holds…