FALCON POINTS

5 key questions in Houston sports once the teams return

5 key questions in Houston sports once the teams return
Photo by Getty Images.

The sports world is slowly creeping back, with the UFC, German soccer and NASCAR staging events this past week. They were unquestionably all successes, which means the rest of the leagues will soon follow suit. (One other encouraging thing; horse racing has been there all along, with limited Rona-related issues. So sports without fans can be pulled off). With that in mind, here are five things to look forward to the most as the sports world returns in Houston (this is assuming, of course, that all the leagues and colleges do come back):

5) Can the Dynamo become relevant again?

Dynamo fans get angry when their team is left off lists like this, but the reality is this team has been a disaster, with only one playoff appearance in the last six seasons in a league that all but begs you to make the playoffs. They brought in a promising new coach in Tab Ramos, and hoped to bring a new attitude and new style. There were only two games to go on before the Rona hit, including a home draw and a bad road loss. For a team that has been a mess on the road for years, it was not a great start. Now, like everyone else, they have to hit the reset button. But they have a lot farther to go than most teams. Will they be able to pull it together after the break? Can they be anything more than a DNQ in the playoff race again? Those are the pressing questions.

4) Can the UH resurgence continue?

In football, Dana Holgorsen's first season was simply a disaster. But prior coach Major Applewhite left him little to work with. Holgorsen's track record though, should give hope. Yes, QB D'Eriq King is gone, but Holgorsen should have more talent around QB Clayton Tune in year two and the Cougars should be able to make a jump. If not, things could get a little testy on Cullen. Meanwhile, Kelvin Sampson's basketball squad would have made the NCAA Tournament had it not been canceled, but the team was very young and should be even better in 2020, even losing a couple players to the pros. The question is not whether they will be a good team; it's how good can they be? The bar is set pretty high, and it will be fun to see if they can reach it.

3) Do the Rockets have another gear?

Before the break, the Rockets were alternating between stretches where they looked like a title contender and other points where they looked like first-round fodder. The question was always going to be how this team would do in the playoffs. Since the postseason is likely to begin with their return, we will get the answer quickly. Will they thrive in a shortened postseason? Or are the bad Rockets headed for an early exit? The good news is we get to find out soon.

2) Is Bill O'Brien really smart?

His off-season moves have been well chronicled, and universally ripped locally and nationally. But at least he has his team. While most will remain skeptical, O'Brien is banking on being smarter than everyone else. He still has Deshaun Watson, who can overcome a lot of his coach's shortcomings. But will it be enough?

1) Will the Astros still have a shot in what looks like the last year of their window?

This was going to be a big year for the Astros, returning with most of last year's World Series loser intact. The off-season controversy surrounding the 2017 cheaters took on a life of its own. But perhaps the team to benefit most from this break is the Astros. The delay should be enough to get Justin Verlander back and healthy. More time and a shortened schedule should benefit Lance McCullers. And if there are no fans? The trash can crew will have no impact. Perhaps by the time fans return, the controversy will have faded and will not be an issue. How the Astros respond will be critical. Of all the teams on the list, however, they could benefit from this break the most. Will they?

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The Texans are the class of the division. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

The Houston Texans received a lot of praise for their moves in free agency across various outlets. And for good reason, most people believe the team got significantly better with the additions of Danielle Hunter, Azeez Al-Shaair, and Denico Autry among others.

But there's another factor to consider this offseason. How much have the other teams in the AFC South improved?

When looking at the PFF grades in free agency, the Colts received a B-minus. Most of the Colts moves this offseason involved spending a lot of money re-signing their own players. Which is great in theory, but it's hard to improve the overall quality of your roster when you're bringing back players that were already there to begin with. A lot will be riding on player development for the Colts to see a big jump this season. A healthy quarterback wouldn't hurt either.

The Jaguars have made some big additions financially this offseason by signing receiver Gabe Davis and defensive tackle Arik Armstead. They also lost the top receiver on the market, Calvin Ridley, to the Titans. Gabe Davis wasn't able to establish himself as a reliable No. 2 receiver with Josh Allen throwing him the ball in Buffalo. So it's hard to believe he'll take the next step in Jacksonville. Their best move of the offseason might have been retaining edge rusher Josh Allen by using the franchise tag on him. So what did PFF think of Jacksonville's offseason? They received a B-minus, just like the Colts.

The Titans have a lot of turnover heading into the 2024 season, and not just on the roster. They have a new head coach in Brian Callahan, who's looking to revamp Tennessee's offense. Early in free agency, they agreed to terms with former Cowboys running back Tony Pollard, signing him to a 3-year deal at $8 million per season. Which is more money than the Ravens are paying for Derrick Henry, who left the Titans in free agency. Calvin Ridley was the most notable addition to the squad, he received a 4-year, $92 million deal. And while this could be viewed as an overpay, at least he gives the Titans' offense some upside. Their receiving corps looks a lot more dangerous with Ridley added to DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks.

They also spent big at the center position, adding Lloyd Cushenberry on a 4-year, $50 million contract.

Because the Titans spent a lot of money on some highly coveted players, PFF gave them a B.

Now that brings us to the Texans. The Texans re-signed some of their own players like Dalton Schultz and Noah Brown. But they also made some big splashes with Hunter, Autry, Al-Shaair, and Joe Mixon. But the Texans spent their money in a more conservative way by not handing out many contracts over two years in length.

The Texans managed to add the best pass rusher in free agency with Hunter, but it's only a two-year deal. The overall talent level is going up on this roster, and GM Nick Caserio isn't having to sign players to long contracts that could come back and haunt him.

That's why we're seeing post-free agency power rankings coming out with Houston in the Top 10. And that's also why PFF gave the Texans an A for their moves in free agency.

Be sure to check out the video above as Craig from Sports Talk Extra takes an in-depth look at PFF's grades for the AFC South, and much more!

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