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Jermaine Every: 5 things the Texans must do this off season

Jermaine Every: 5 things the Texans must do this off season
A healthy Deshaun Watson will be huge for the Texans. Tim Warner/Getty Images

Sunday night, we were witness to another great Super Bowl. Some prisoners of the moment characterized it as the best ever. The storyline of The Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach going from high school coach to Super Bowl winning coach in ten years was fascinating. But let’s get real. Houston Texans fans are waiting to see their head coach Bill O’Brien be the first seed from the Bill Belichek tree to blossom a fruitful harvest on its own.

Now that O’Brien has a general manager he seems to approve of in Brian Gaine, I’m interested in seeing what the two of them can accomplish together. This offseason will be particularly challenging because they’ll be working sans 1st and 2nd round picks in the draft. Aiding in the plans will be an estimated $52 million dollars in cap space (h/t spotrac). There are a ton of different moves needed to be made in order for the Texans to climb the mountain and be the next unlikely Super Bowl winner. Here are five of those moves I believe will help them get to the mountaintop presented in no particular order:

Sign Guard Andrew Norwell

Norwell is 26 years old and is one of, arguably the best offensive lineman on the market this offseason. Many would say anything is better than what they’ve had at guard. Some could argue that throwing big money at the problem may backfire like it has in the past. I advise them to go look at how this guy played in a system conducive to a mobile quarterback and reassess that notion.

Sign Wide Receiver Jarvis Landry

Sure “Juice” had an off-field incident involving domestic violence, but he’s also the kind of guy who could flourish opposite DeAndre Hopkins, or in the slot, that could help this team thrive on offense. He’s caught at least 84 balls every year, twice going over 100, for a Miami team that’s been less than stellar. Playing with Deshaun Watson and being closer to home may assist Juice in taking his career, and this team, to heights unheard of previously.

Invest In A Quality Backup Quarterback

When Watson went down, the offense went with him. Having a backup quarterback that can run the same offense would help things along should Watson not be ready for the beginning of the season, or if he should miss time due to injury. Seattle Seahawks backup Trevone Boykin could be a potential trade target for a relatively low price. Chase Daniel, Joe Webb, Josh Johnson, and possibly even Teddy Bridgewater are all potential targets in free agency.

Bolster Defensive Backfield

Whether it’s through the draft, free agency, or armed robbery, the Texans need to find help at corner and safety this offseason. Jonathan Joseph should be gone, Kareem Jackson should move fulltime to safety and Kevin Johnson has been vastly underwhelming. This leaves openings on the depth chart. Whether it’s Hopkins’ open recruitment of Malcolm Butler, finding a late round gem or a current guy on the roster stepping up, something needs to happen in the defensive backfield because opposing receivers are more open than Bissonnet street walkers on the weekend. EJ Gaines and Tre Boston also come to mind.

Trade A Star

Fred Faour wrote an article about trading Jadeveon Clowney. It may not be the popular thing to do, but he’s the best trade asset this team has to offer. Or perhaps it’s time to see what they can get for JJ Watt. He’s coming off two seasons lost to major injuries so he may not fetch much. The same can be said for Whitney Mercilus. Hopkins is out of the question given the cap hit they’d take after resigning him last season. Beyond those guys, the Texans aren’t in a position to move anyone else and expect anything significant in return. I’m sure there’s a team out there that’d be willing to part with some decent draft picks or players for one of those three pass rushers.

These are just five of the many moves the Texans can make. There are lots of holes on this roster to fill and most of them will not be filled this offseason. Luckily for them, the NFL is built on parity. There are teams who make complete turnarounds in one offseason. Most times it comes with the aid of hitting home runs with draft picks, especially the ones the Texans don’t have. Challenging as it may seem, it can be done. The best thing for fans is to pray Watson comes back healthy and stays that way for an entire season. If that doesn’t happen, all will be for naught.


 

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Can top prospect Brice Matthews give Houston a boost? Composite Getty Image.

What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.

Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.

 

Depth finally runs dry

 

It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.

Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.

But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.

The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.

 

Cracks in the pitching core

 

And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.

Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.

But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.

 

Injury handling under fire

 

Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.

No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.

Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.

 

Pressure mounts on Dana Brown

 

All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.

Brown will need to act — and soon.

At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.

*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!

 

There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.

 

A final test before the break

 

Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.

The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.

There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!

The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.

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*ChatGPT assisted.

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