In a word? No

Can new Texans WR Randall Cobb soften the Hopkins departure?

Bill O'Brien against Jacksonville
Houstontexans.com

The Texans got to work trying to replace DeAndre Hopkins late Monday.

Cobb stays in Texas

Last year for the Cowboys Randall Cobb played primarily from the slot position and amassed 828 yards and three touchdowns for Dallas. It was his first season playing for the Cowboys and he managed two 100 yard games twice.

Funny money

This is a bad deal. Cobb will be 30 before the season starts and hasn't been regularly productive in almost two seasons. His contract checks in around the same as Adam Humphries of the Titans and John Brown of the Bills. Both are much younger or far more productive than Cobb.

The fear here, and the Texans have done nothing to dispel the notion, is Houston is viewed as an ATM. Agents will likely use the Texans to drive up the price on players or just milk them for exaggerated contracts.

Texans so slotty right now

The Texans now have three wideouts who played primarily slot receiver in Cobb, DeAndre Carter, and Keke Coutee. Considering Carter just got extended, this is likely the end for Coutee. The former fourth round pick flashed his rookie year but never got out of the O'Brien doghouse as injuries and then a lack of cohesiveness in the offense doomed him.

Injuries a concern?

The Texans don't have depth at wide receiver and their top pass catcher, Will Fuller, has never played 16 games. In fact, this trio has five 16 games seasons combined, the same number DeAndre Hopkins had in his career.

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Astros lose to Braves, 6-2. Composite Getty Image.

Reynaldo López struck out seven over six scoreless innings, Orlando Arcia homered and the Atlanta Braves won their third straight, 6-2 over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.

López (2-0) allowed four hits and walked one in his third straight sterling outing to start the season.

“It’s like I’ve always said, for me, the important thing is to focus,” López said through an interpreter. “To have the focus during the outings and then, to be able to locate those pitches.”

He has given up one run in 18 innings for an ERA of 0.50.

“He threw the ball really well against a really good hitting club,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “Another solid one.”

Arcia hit a solo home run to left in the second and a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Luis Guillorme and backup catcher Chadwick Tromp each hit a two-run double in the ninth to put the Braves ahead 6-0.

“Tromp has done a good job ever since we’ve been bringing him in these situations and filling in,” Snitker said. “I’ve got all the confidence in the world in him back there. ... He’s an aggressive hitter. He’s knocked in some big runs for us in the limited time that he’s played.”

Kyle Tucker homered for the Astros leading off the ninth against Aaron Bummer, and Mauricio Dubón had a two-out RBI single to cut the lead to four. After Bummer walked Chas McCormick to put two on, Raisel Iglesias induced a groundout by Victor Caratini to end it and secure his fourth save.

“They pitched well, and our guys are grinding out at-bats,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “Even in the ninth inning there, we’re grinding, fighting until the end.”

Hunter Brown (0-3) yielded two runs on five hits with three strikeouts and three walks in six innings. Brown allowed nine runs in two-thirds of an inning in his previous start, last Thursday against Kansas City.

Brown said he executed better Tuesday than he had in his previous two starts.

“He mixed all his pitches well,” Espada said. “The breaking ball was effective. He threw some cutters in on the hands to some of those lefties. He mixed his pitches really well. That was a really strong performance.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Braves: 2B Ozzie Albies was placed on the 10-day injured list with a broken right big toe. IF David Fletcher had his contract selected from Triple-A Gwinnett to take Albies’ place on the roster.

Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (right shoulder inflammation) threw a side session Tuesday, but Houston will wait until Wednesday to see how Verlander feels before deciding whether he will make his first start this weekend against the Nationals, Espada said. ... RHP Luis Garcia (right elbow surgery) threw around 20-25 pitches off the bullpen mound, and RHP José Urquidy (right forearm strain) also threw off the mound, Espada said. ... LHP Framber Valdez (left elbow soreness) played catch off flat ground.

UP NEXT

Atlanta LHP Max Fried (1-0, 8.74 ERA) starts Wednesday in the series finale opposite RHP J.P. France (0-2, 8.22).

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