With Astros reloaded for contention, new opportunities have arisen for leadership & evolution
PRESENTED BY COORS LIGHT
01 February
Shortly after the Astros signed Josh Hader to a 5-year $95 million contract, Hector Neris agreed to a much smaller deal with the Chicago Cubs.
Right-handed reliever Hector Neris and the Chicago Cubs are in agreement on a one-year, $9 million contract that includes an option for 2025, a source familiar with the deal tells ESPN.
The $9M team option converts to a player option at 60 games. Total max w incentives: $23.25M.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 27, 2024
Before the signing of Hader, Neris was rumored to be looking for a 3-year $50 million deal. Clearly that wasn't what the market was willing to pay Neris.
Which made us wonder, with the benefit of hindsight, would Jim Crane rather have signed Neris to the cheaper deal?
In our opinion, no. Part of the reason behind the Hader signing was adding more youth to the Astros bullpen. Not only for the short-term, but also as a tactic to prepare for life after Ryan Pressly, who will likely be gone after the 2025 season.
The Astros lost 4 relief pitchers this offseason
Considering how many bullpen arms won't be back for 2024, how much better is this year's 'pen after adding Hader?
Leader of the pack
Finally, with so many team leaders not returning for 2024, who will step up for the Astros and lead the team moving forward?
Be sure to watch the video above as we address all these questions and much more!
If you enjoy the videos, subscribe to SportsMapHouston on YouTube for our latest content!
Presented by Coors Light.
NFL insiders hint at eye-opening future for Houston Texans offense
Dec 7, 2024, 2:38 pm
One of the nuggets that came out of Nick Caserio's press conference this week, was his thoughts on the job Bobby Slowik has done as an offensive coordinator. When asked if the team has considered sharing the offensive play calling, Caseiro responded with an emphatic, “absolutely not.”
Caserio went on to praise the job Slowik has done this year, and to say the team's struggles in the second half this season is due to execution.
This stance is consistent with what we've heard from Texans insiders that believe Slowik will be back next season. As much as many Texans fans believe a change at OC could help CJ Stroud, who's shown regression this year, it doesn't appear Slowik is going anywhere.
To be fair, most teams aren't looking to replace their coordinators when they're leading their division and marching toward the postseason for the second straight year.
Number crunching
When comparing Stroud's stats to last season, there is a clear dropoff in 2024. But a lot of that has to do with the addition of Joe Mixon, especially when it comes to touchdowns.
Mixon is third in the NFL with 11 rushing TDs, while Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary only combined for 6 over the entire 2023 season. One could argue the passing offense has regressed, but one could also argue the offense overall is more balanced.
Stroud is still Top 5 in passing yards, heading into this week's games. And even if we account for the bye week, Stroud will still be Top 10 after this week's slate of games.
The most concerning number to keep an eye on is sacks. Only one QB has been sacked more than Stroud, who's been sacked 41 times. CJ's protection has gotten better since Juice Scruggs was moved to guard, and Jarrett Patterson was inserted at center.
If Stroud starts getting hit again at a high level, that may be the one factor that could make the front office rethink their plans at coordinator. However, if the Texans do make a change, we expect them to address their o-line coach before any changes at OC.
Be sure to watch the video above for our full breakdown of the Texans offense, the coaching staff, and our thoughts on how the Azeez Al-Shaair suspension will impact the team.
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