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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The Angels beat the Astros, 4-1. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.

Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.

The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.

Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.

Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.

Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.

Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.

Key moment

Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.

Key Stat

Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.

Up next

Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.

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