TRAINING CAMP PREVIEW

Cody Stoots: The best and worst position groups for the Texans

Cody Stoots: The best and worst position groups for the Texans
Will Fuller needs to by dynamic for the Texans. Photo by Edward Clarke

The Texans head to West Virginia this week to start their away portion of training camp. As training camp starts the Texans have a few position groups they can rely on and a couple of position groups they are going to need to get a lot better in the coming weeks. 

Best offensive position group: Wide receivers

The Texans boast one of the best pass catchers in football in DeAndre Hopkins but outside of him, the team has a lot of maybe mixed with some hope. Maybe Will Fuller will stay healthy and be the dynamic gamebreaker the team has to have to succeed. He was amazing with Deshaun Watson at quarterback finding the end zone frequently. He has to show up more consistently but the talent is there. Bruce Ellington got to the team in the middle of camp but still turned in his most impressive year as a pro. It wasn't spectacular; he totaled just 330 yards in 11 games, but with the team committing to him in the offseason and some stability on offense Ellington maybe can be a veteran piece for the offense.

The hope comes in the form of Keke Coutee and Braxton Miller. Coutee is a rookie but his skills are the first true slot presence the team has had in Bill O'Brien's tenure. Miller has been a project for a while. The current front office didn't invest in him but if there is anything there this would be the time to show it. He has psychical gifts but there is no more learning curve for his position change. This is his fourth year playing wideout and training camp is now or never. 

Worst offensive position group: Running backs and offensive lineman

The Texans may have one of the worst running back groups in football. Let me first explain why the offensive line isn't here solo. There is at least some investment in some players who have had a semblance of success in the opportunities they had. Plenty of Saints fans and media lamented the potential loss created by the Texans signing Senio Kelemete and his versatility is an asset as a potential backup and maybe starter should someone falter. Zach Fulton will hopefully not be Jeff Allen 2.0 as he came over from the Chiefs on a similar deal after having a similar amount of success. Greg Mancz and Nick Martin provide playing experience and depth at center. The tackle situation is a disaster with Seantrell Henderson who hasn't played much in the NFL between injuries and suspensions and Julién Davenport has played very little. 

The running backs to me is a bigger disaster than the offensive line. Yes, they produced some results last year that had them as a middle of the road team but how much did Deshaun Watson and his mobility help? If he isn't used as a runner as much can the middle of the road results be produced again? I don't believe so. This concern all goes away if D'Onta Foreman is inexplicably ready to play right away after his season-ending injury last year. Without him though the running back room is one of the more unimpressive in football. Lamar Miller just came off one of his worst seasons as a pro. Alfred Blue was unimpressive last season. Tyler Ervin isn't really a running back. The rest of the young players have a very limited track record. Without Foreman, this is the worst position group on the team. 

Best defensive position group: Linebacker

It might be cheating to put all the linebackers together AND include Jadeveon Clowney, but, this is the strength of the defense. There is proven success and potential at every linebacker spot. Clowney and Whitney Mercilus provide plenty of pass rush while Benadrick McKinney and his new contract patrol the middle. Zach Cunningham and Dylan Cole provide solid talent with McKinney inside. The spot opposite Clowney is the "weak" portion but there are some interesting candidates to start opposite him. Brennan Scarlett has been with the team for a few years while rookie Duke Ejiofor could push for time. There are very few questions at this position.

Worst defensive position group: Cornerback

This was a position of concern before Kareem Jackson and Treston Decoud moved to safety. Johnathan Joseph is back again but coming off a rough year for him. He had zero interceptions outside of the Cleveland game and finished the year with just nine passes defended. Kevin Johnson has failed to stay healthy and took a step back last year. Aaron Colvin is new to the team and it seems could start the year without a defined position. He could end up being the best cornerback in this group. Johnson Bademosi is the special teams ace. The rest of the candidates for the last one or two spots are Dee Virgin who had a little success in the preseason last year and a couple of rookies from San Jose State in Jermaine Kelly and Andre Chachere. If Joseph doesn't have one last veteran resurgance and Kevin Johnson doesn't bounce back this group will have a tough time. 

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Christian Walker got on base twice in the opener. Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Astros return to action Wednesday night with a chance to get back on track and even their three-game set against the visiting Chicago White Sox.

White Sox continue to have Houston's number

After falling 4–2 in Tuesday’s opener, the Astros now trail the season series 3–1 and will turn to Ryan Gusto (3-3, 4.78 ERA) in hopes of steadying the ship and reinforcing their grip on first place in the AL West.

Houston enters the matchup at 36–30 overall and 22–13 at home, a mark that reflects just how comfortable they've been playing in front of their fans. Though the offense has been inconsistent at times, the Astros are an impressive 19–4 when they manage to keep the ball in the yard — a stat that will be key with Gusto on the mound. The young right-hander has had an up-and-down season, but he'll be tasked with limiting a White Sox offense that did just enough to sneak away with a win in the opener.

Chicago, meanwhile, continues to play with a bit of unexpected edge despite sitting in last place in the AL Central. At 23–44, the White Sox have struggled most of the season — particularly on the road, where they’re just 7–26. Still, they've now won four of their last five games and will hand the ball to Sean Burke (3-6, 4.03 ERA), a righty who’s shown flashes of command and competitiveness in his rookie campaign.

The Astros will once again lean on their veterans to lead the way at the plate. Jose Altuve continues to be a consistent presence at the top of the lineup with nine home runs and 24 RBIs on the year. Yainer Diaz, who’s 10-for-39 with three home runs over his last 10 games, has started to find his swing again and could be a factor in the middle of the order. Houston will need more of that timely hitting if they want to avoid dropping their second straight at home — something that hasn’t happened often this year.

On the other side, Chase Meidroth has quietly become one of Chicago’s more reliable bats. Hitting .293 with five doubles and a pair of homers, Meidroth’s emergence adds some much-needed spark to a lineup that’s lacked consistency. Andrew Benintendi, hitting .257 over his last 10 games with four doubles, has also begun to warm up at the plate.

Both teams come in with nearly identical offensive production over their last 10 games — the Astros hitting .227 to the White Sox’s .226 — but Houston holds the edge in ERA at 3.44 compared to Chicago’s 4.04. That said, the Astros have been outscored by five runs over that stretch, and will need to clean up a few things on both sides of the ball to avoid falling into a mini-slide during this six-game homestand.

First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET from Daikin Park, with Houston looking to reassert itself against a team it hasn’t solved yet this season. A win would not only even the series — it would also be a reminder that the Astros remain very much in control of their own narrative heading into the summer grind.

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -181, White Sox +150; over/under is 8 1/2 runs.

Here's an early look at Houston's lineup for Game 2

Jacob Melton is hitting last and remains the left fielder with Altuve back at second base. Diaz is once again in the cleanup spot as Walker is hitting fifth. Victor Caratini will hit behind Walker and serve as the DH. Otherwise, a pretty typical lineup for Joe Espada's club.


*ChatGPT assisted.

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