Houston Texans GM seemed to tip his hand on Super Bowl blueprint, HOF coach co-signs

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Houston Texans GM seemed to tip his hand on Super Bowl blueprint, HOF coach co-signs
How do the Texans compare to one of the best offenses in NFL history? Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Texans caught a lot of people off guard last week by rewarding receiver Nico Collins with a three-year contract extension worth up to $75 million.

Collins was terrific in 2023, but there are some concerns about his ability to stay healthy, as he has never played a full season in his three-year career.

Texans GM Nick Caserio joined Kay Adams last week on her show Up & Adams to discuss the deal. During the interview, Adams asked Caserio about the 2007 Patriots, as Nick was the wide receivers coach for New England that year.

That was the season the Pats went 16-0, and lost to the Giants in the Super Bowl. One could argue they had one of the best offenses in NFL history. Tom Brady threw for 50 touchdowns, and Randy Moss caught an NFL record 23 of them. Caserio said in the interview that the team was looking to upgrade their roster after the Colts eliminated them from the postseason in 2006.

That offseason, the Patriots traded for both Moss and Wes Welker. This conversation got us thinking about some similarities between the Texans and the 2007 Patriots wide receivers. Modeling this Texans receiving group after one of the best in NFL history sounds like a pretty smart move. And who would know more about it than the guy who coached those receivers?

At the time, many believed Moss was no longer the explosive player he was earlier in his career. It turns out Moss (age 30) still had plenty left in the tank once he was traded from Oakland to New England.

There have been similar questions about Stefon Diggs (age 30), who saw a dropoff in his production over the second half of the 2023 season.

But when it comes to body type, the easiest comparison to Randy Moss on the Texans' roster would be Nico Collins. Both Collins and Moss are 6' 4, weigh around 210-215 pounds, and can beat defenses on deep routes.

If we were to compare a player on the 2007 Patriots to Diggs, Donte Stallworth makes the most sense. Both players are 6 feet tall and weigh just under 200 pounds.

What about Tank Dell? Dell's body type is very similar to Wes Welker's. The Texans list Dell at 5'10, 165 pounds, and Welker was listed at 5'9, 185.

Caserio talked about how the receivers on the 2007 team really complemented each other in size and skill set. So by looking at how Bill Belichick and Caserio put together and implemented that historic receiving corps, maybe we can learn some things about the 2024 Texans receivers.

These players have more in common than just size, let's look at their receiving yards per reception. Collins posted 16.2 Y/R in 2023. Moss came in at 15.2 in 2007.

Welker playing mostly out of the slot averaged 10.5 yards per catch. Diggs had 11.1 Y/R last season.

And Tank Dell's numbers looked pretty similar to Donte Stallworth's. Dell recorded 15.1 yards per catch last year, compared to 15.2 for Stallworth in 2007.

One thing that could really work in the Texans favor is Tank Dell's ability to win on short routes in the slot, and take the top off a defense down the field. In fact, Diggs and Dell both have that ability, so the Texans can mix and match with those guys, putting defenses in a bind. Teams didn't fear Welker getting behind them on deep routes, but that's a different story for Diggs and Dell.

Finally, the comparisons to the 2007 Patriots don't stop at the wide receivers. Brady and Stroud have some interesting comps as well!

Don't miss the video above as we dive deep into the numbers to see how the 2007 Patriots compare to the 2024 Texans, and what that reveals about Houston's offensive blueprint moving forward.

Plus, Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy weighs in on the Texans, and if they have what it takes to win the Super Bowl this season.

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Can the Astros overcome the loss of Kyle Tucker? Composite Getty Image.

The Chicago Cubs acquired All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker in a trade with the Houston Astros on Friday, paying a big price for one of baseball's best hitters.

The Cubs sent third baseman Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and Cam Smith, one of their top infield prospects, to the Astros for Tucker, who is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.

Be sure to watch the video below as the crew from Stone Cold 'Stros reacts to the trade and lays out what the future holds for the new-look Astros.

Tucker was limited to 78 games this year because of a fractured right shin, but he hit .289 with 23 homers and 49 RBIs for the AL West champions. He batted .284 with 29 homers, an AL-best 112 RBIs and 30 steals for Houston in 2023.

Tucker, who turns 28 on Jan. 17, joins a crowded situation in Chicago's outfield, but the Cubs are reportedly looking to trade Cody Bellinger, who also can play first base. They also have talked to Seiya Suzuki's agent about the outfielder's no-trade clause.

The Cubs have finished second in the NL Central with an 83-79 record in each of the past two years, and there is increased pressure on president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer to get the team back into the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

The Cubs announced later in the day that they had agreed to an $11.5 million, two-year contract with catcher Carson Kelly, a Chicago native. He played for Detroit and Texas this year, batting .238 with nine homers and 37 RBIs in 91 games.

The New York Yankees also were in the mix for Tucker before the trade was completed.

“We certainly had many conversations with the Astros.” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “At the end of the day I’m glad that Mr. Tucker is not in the American League East or the American League at all. But it’s a big get for the Chicago Cubs.”

Paredes is an option for Houston at third base if Alex Bregman departs in free agency. The 25-year-old Paredes hit .238 with 19 homers and 80 RBIs in 153 games this year. He made the AL All-Star team with Tampa Bay and then was traded to Chicago in July.

Paredes, who bats from the right side and is known for his pull power, chuckled as he talked about taking aim at the Crawford Boxes in left field at Minute Maid Park.

“I feel very happy. It's not only a beautiful stadium, but it's a stadium that benefits my hitting,” he said through a translator.

Even with the acquisition of Paredes, who also can play first, Astros general manager Dana Brown did not close the door on a reunion with Bregman.

“Pretty much Alex Bregman's status is still the way it is,” Brown said. “Nothing has changed since the last time I've talked to you guys.”

Wesneski, a Houston native who played college ball for Sam Houston State, will compete for a spot in the Astros’ rotation.

The right-hander, who turned 27 on Dec. 5, went 3-6 with a 3.86 ERA over 21 relief appearances and seven starts this year. He was on the injured list from July 20 to Sept. 20 with a right forearm strain.

“It’s just a dream-come-true kind of thing,” Wesneski said. “I am excited to be an Astro.”

Houston is hoping the addition of Paredes and Wesneski will help the team continue its impressive run as one of baseball's best teams. It has made the playoffs for eight straight years, winning the World Series in 2017 and 2022. It was swept by Detroit in the wild-card round this year.

“Look, make no mistake. We're still going to compete,” Brown said, “and this is probably one of those moves that I think in the future people will see and understand like, yeah, wow, I understand it now, I get it. ... I would say that this is more to strengthen our opportunities down the road without losing any footage in the current year.”

While Paredes and Wesneski could have an immediate impact, Smith also was a key component of the deal.

Smith, 21, was selected by Chicago with the No. 14 pick in this year's draft out of Florida State University. He hit .313 with seven homers and 24 RBIs in 32 games over three minor league stops, finishing the year with Double-A Knoxville.

“It's a really good first-round college bat with power, with a chance to hit, and he's pretty athletic as well,” Brown said. “So we're really excited about Cam Smith.”

Tucker was Houston's first-round pick in 2015, taken No. 5 overall. He made his big league debut with the Astros in 2018.

Tucker had a breakout performance three years after his debut, hitting a career-best .294 with 30 homers and 92 RBIs in 140 games in 2021. He won a Gold Glove the following year.

The Tampa, Florida, native is a .274 hitter with 125 homers, 417 RBIs and an .869 OPS in 633 career games — all with Houston. He also has appeared in 64 postseason games, batting .229 with eight homers and 28 RBIs.

Kelly gets $5 million in each of the next two seasons, and his deal with Chicago includes a $7.5 million mutual option for 2027 with a $1.5 million buyout. He can earn $500,000 in performance bonuses during each of the three seasons; $250,000 each for 81 and 91 games started.

The Cubs were in need of more depth behind the plate. They also have Miguel Amaya, who played in a career-high 117 games this year, and Matt Thaiss, who was acquired in a trade with the Angels on Nov. 20.

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