Texans' DeMeco Ryans makes his feelings known on free agent running back
STRONG WORDS
27 February 2024
STRONG WORDS
Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans spoke at the NFL Combine on Tuesday and shared his thoughts on a lot of different topics thrown at him by the media.
But what really caught our attention was how he answered questions about Texans free agent running back Devin Singletary and Houston free agent tight end Dalton Schultz.
There's been a lot of discussion about the Texans adding a top tier running back this offseason, with only Dameon Pierce guaranteed to return.
Superstar running back Saquon Barkley has shown interest in joining the team. He's reportedly been communicating with CJ Stroud according to KPRC's Aaron Wilson.
Based on today, it sure sounds like the team will hope to bring back a much more affordable option in Singletary.
When asked about Singletary, DeMeco said, “Yeah, very pleased with Devin. I remember sitting in a free agent visit with Devin, and just his personality, his demeanor. He's a guy I knew I wanted to work with right away… We'll see what happens in free agency, but we'd love to have Devin back. Just because of what he brought to our team. He was definitely a bright spot for us in the running back room.”
That's a pretty big endorsement from the head coach. But it doesn't necessarily mean the team is out on Barkley. The Texans are top 10 in cap space, so there's a possibility the team could sign both backs. Or neither for that matter. We'll have to wait and see.
Ryans also shared his thoughts on how he evaluates players saying, “For me, it's always person over player.”
So it's safe to say Singletary checks all the boxes in DeMeco's eyes.
What about Schultz?
DeMeco had good things to say about Schultz. Maybe not to the level of his thoughts on Singletary (which we had to edit for brevity) but very positive. Here's what he had to say:
“Dalton did a really nice job for us in the passing game [in] those two-minute drives where we were able to win a few games, Dalton really showed up. Situational football, third down, he showed up making big catches for us. We'll see what happens with Dalton in free agency, but I'm very proud of what he did for us last year.”
The reality of the situation with Schultz could be coming into play here. Dalton is the top tight end on the market, so the Texans might have to overpay to get him back in the fold.
GM Nick Caserio may consider using the franchise tag on Schultz. That would keep him in a Texans uniform, but it won't come cheap. He would cost the team around $12 million if they decide to tag him. But this isn't a very strong draft or free agent market for tight ends, so they may be tempted to spend a little extra to keep the continuity between him and CJ Stroud.
Head Coach DeMeco Ryans: 'We're looking for guys that are separators'Houston Texans' Head Coach DeMeco Ryans spoke to the media about how he evaluates players at the combine and what's ...
Be sure to watch the video above to hear all of DeMeco Ryans' thoughts from the NFL Combine.
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Jose Altuve and Victor Caratini hit three-run home runs in a seven-run sixth inning and the Houston Astros had a season-high 20 hits in an 11-4 victory over the Athletics on Wednesday night.
THE GOAT LAUNCHES ONE!#VoteAltuve ⭐️ https://t.co/W06pfHQMR1 pic.twitter.com/iLGHl47ZQH
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 19, 2025
Framber Valdez (8-4) limited the A's to two runs and five hits in six innings to help the Astros win for the seventh time in eight games.
Altuve, Caratini, Jeremy Peña, Cam Smith, and Jake Meyers had three hits apiece, and Yanier Diaz and Mauricio Dubón each added two.
Cam The Man delivers!
6-1 Astros!#VoteCam ⭐️ https://t.co/W06pfHQMR1 pic.twitter.com/kpfgDCK3x0
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 19, 2025
Nick Kurtz hit a double and scored on a single by Austin Wynns to give the Athletics a 1-0 lead in the second. The 22-year-old rookie had a solo homer in the ninth.
Dubón hit a leadoff homer in the third inning and Peña's RBI single off starter Luis Severino (2-7) in the fourth made it 2-1.
The Athletics had a four-game win streak snapped Tuesday with a 13-3 loss to Houston.
Tyler Ferguson replaced Severino to start the sixth and gave up a single to Meyers before Dubón grounded into a 4-6-3 double play but Peña followed with a single, Isaac Paredes followed with a walk and Altuve's three-run shot sparked Houston's seven-run sixth that made it 9-1.
The Athletics gave up three home runs and have yielded a major league-leading 113 this season, sixth most before the All-Star break in franchise history. The A's are on pace to allow 247 homers this season and shatter the franchise record of 220 set by the 1964 Kansas City A’s.
Houston's Colton Gordon (2-1, 4.70 ERA) was scheduled to pitch Thursday against Jacob Lopez (1-4, 4.80) to wrap up the four-game series.