Houston Texans Offseason Previews

This is the latest in an ongoing series of NFL offseason previews.

2025 Season in a Nutshell

The defense left a path of devastation in its wake. The offense, whether helmed by C.J. Stroud or Davis Mills, trudged along like an oxcart in the mud. Stroud contracted hypothermia of the soul in the playoffs and was last seen throwing interceptions in the parking lot outside Gillette Stadium.

Coaching Situation

DeMeco Ryans is 32-19 with three playoff wins in three seasons as a head coach. He comes across as a sharp defensive coach and no-nonsense leader. Like many no-nonsense defensive coaches, however, he has a hard time finding quality offensive coordinators, perhaps because he prefers conservative, don’t-lose-the-game types with no personality.

Ryans chose to retain Nick Caley for another year, despite the fact that Caley’s offense made the Eagles offense look like a fireworks display on MDMA.

Quarterback Situation

Stroud …

• Peaked in a playoff win over the Browns on January 13th, 2024.
• Was abandoned by the tastemakers after an extended panic attack in Foxborough on January 18th, 2026.
• Is at risk of being the Opening Day starting quarterback for the Falcons on September 10th, 2028.

Worrying about Stroud is not just an overreaction to a pair of bad playoff performances. He has rarely looked like a superstar since his runaway Rookie of the Year performance in 2023. He often looks like someone who has taken one too many sacks and/or tries a little too hard to make something out of nothing.

State of the Roster

Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter spearhead the best pass rush in the NFL.

Derek Stingley and Kamari Lassiter lead the best secondary in the NFL.

Nico Collins carries a playmaker corps that looks a little too much like an Iowa State alumni team.

The Texans have spent three years and an abundance of resources rebuilding their offensive line. All they have to show for it is this crummy Aireontae Ersery.

Cap and Draft Stuff

On paper, the Texans are ever-so-slightly over the cap. Cutting Joe Mixon will save $8 million. Restructuring some Collins/Stingley deals will free up more space. The Texans won’t be able to afford a spending spree, but they can make some minor additions.

Most of the in-house free agents should be given a handshake and a Thank You post on Instagram. Christian Kirk’s contribution to the 2025 offense can only be measured with an electron microscope. Backup edge rushers Denico Autry and Derek Barnett are journeymen. Ed Ingram was one of the most reliable contributors on the offensive line, but that’s really the problem, isn’t it? GM Nick Caserio loves shuffling players of this caliber on and off the roster. He must focus on “off” come March.

The Texans possess extra second and fourth-round picks thanks to last year’s Laremy Tunsil trades. They will pick in the Giants spot (but not their own) in the third round due to various minor deals. So the Texans pick 28th, 38th, 59th and 69th in the first three rounds, then 106th and 128th in the fourth round. The extra picks mean that Caserio doesn’t need to sign a bunch of free agent backups if he doesn’t want to. But he probably wants to.

One Thing the Texans Should Do

Get a real running back. One of those extra day two draft picks should be used on an Emmitt Johnson-type with burst, vision, niftiness and an ability to gain more yards than the typical Texans offensive line blocks up for a running back. (Negative-2.) A free agent like Kenneth Gainwell could make Stroud look better by turning desperate checkdowns into six-yard gains. Woody Marks will make a RB3.

In Summary

We should be talking about a Stroud contract extension in this segment. The fact that we aren’t – instead, we are talking about insubstantial trade rumors – illustrates just how cloudy this Texans team’s immediate future is.

One sharp draft could catapult the Texans into the Super Bowl. They have the defense to do it. They probably still have the quarterback. But that playoff loss to the Patriots left a bad taste in all of our mouths. This offseason should be devoted to doing everything possible to rinse that out, and get Stroud back on track.