HOUSTON — It’s easy to look at the Houston Texans‘ shortcomings on offense in 2018 and blame the offensive line.
After all, second-year quarterback Deshaun Watson was sacked an NFL-high 62 times in 2018 and had to play through injuries to his ribs and lungs after taking a hit early in the season. And while head coach Bill O’Brien — and even Watson himself — will be quick to say that not all of those sacks fall on the offensive line, the Texans need to make sure they can better protect their young franchise quarterback.
Houston needs to — and will — take a hard look at the offensive tackle and guard market in free agency, and it will likely use at least one of its three draft picks in the first two rounds on an offensive lineman. But there are other holes the team needs to address on offense.
One of those is improving the running game. While the Texans certainly could go into the 2019 season with starter Lamar Miller and backup running back D’Onta Foreman, who spent the majority of the 2018 season on injured reserve while recovering from tearing his Achilles in November 2017, there is no question there are upgrades available at the position, either in free agency or April’s draft.
Last season, the Texans ranked eighth in the NFL in rushing, but those numbers were helped by Watson running for 551 yards and five touchdowns. Miller had his best season in Houston, running for 910 yards and averaging 4.6 yards per carry. But while he ran for 100 yards in a game four times, he rushed for fewer than 50 five times, not including a Week 15 game against the Jets when he exited early with an ankle injury.
The hot topic around the NFL right now is the future of running back Le’Veon Bell, especially after the Steelers announced they will not use the franchise or transition tag to keep him in Pittsburgh.
The biggest upgrade in the backfield that Bell would provide Houston would be in the passing game. Miller caught 25 passes for 163 yards last season, and while those stats might not reflect his potential in the passing game, they pale in comparison to what Bell can bring to the table. In his five NFL seasons, Bell has caught at least 75 passes three times and hauled in a combined 160 in his past two seasons. He would provide a necessary safety blanket for Watson through the air, one that would be beneficial if Houston’s offensive line play does not improve.
The Texans enter the offseason flush with cap space. With about $78 million at their disposal, Houston could give Bell the $15 million annual salary he desires, sign defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to a long-term deal and still have enough money to improve the offensive line.
But those shouldn’t be the only things on the Texans’ offseason to-do list. While adding Bell would provide a boost to Watson and the passing game, Houston also could use another veteran receiver.
When healthy, the Texans’ top three receivers match up well with those across the league. DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller V are a dynamic duo out wide, and 2018 third-round pick Keke Coutee proved capable in the slot during his first season, catching 28 passes for 287 yards in six games.
But while Fuller has been excellent when he has been healthy and has established an impressive rapport with Watson, the speedy receiver has had a hard time staying on the field in his first three seasons, playing in 31 of 48 regular-season games since he was drafted by the Texans in the first round in 2016. Fuller’s absence, a result of tearing his ACL in Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins, was especially felt in the playoffs against the Colts.
While Demaryius Thomas‘ torn Achilles hampered Houston’s playoff hopes, his impact wasn’t what was desired down the stretch when he was healthy. Behind Hopkins, Fuller and Coutee, the Texans were relying on unproven players such as DeAndre Carter (primarily a punt returner) and undrafted receiver Vyncint Smith.
Houston also could use an upgrade at tight end. The Texans’ top three at that position — Ryan Griffin and rookies Jordan Thomas and Jordan Akins — combined for 61 catches and 745 yards. Thomas proved a capable red zone threat late in the season, but none of the three stood out consistently. Griffin’s 24 catches topped the group.
In his second year, Watson completed 68.3 percent of his passes for 4,165 yards, 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions. The turnovers were an improvement over his rookie season, when he threw eight interceptions in seven games.
Led by Watson and Hopkins, the Texans’ offense has shown flashes of how dominant it can be in the past two seasons. The offseason improvement starts with upgrading the offensive line. But if Houston can add another playmaker on offense — perhaps Bell or a top receiver in the draft — the Texans could be a favorite to take another step forward and be a serious contender in the AFC in 2019.
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