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Joel Blank: Texans should beef up backfield by taking a shot at Adrian Peterson
Jun 25, 2018, 7:23 am
Adrian Peterson is worth a gamble. Photo by Adrian Peterson/Facebook
The biggest worry that Texans fans had heading into the upcoming season is water under the bridge—hopefully. Deshaun Watson is on schedule to be ready for training camp and should be ready to play in Week 1 of the 2018 season. Because of this, the backup QB is not as pressing an issue as it could have been, health permitting of course. On the defensive side of the ball J. J. Watt is also progressing nicely in his rehab, as is Whitney Mercellus. Both players are on pace to join Watson on the field when camp opens next month.
Thanks to all those encouraging reports, new GM Brian Gaine can check off a few more boxes on positions that would have to be addressed or upgraded through remaining free agents. He already added talent and depth to the offensive line which was his top priority, as well as upgrading the secondary with veterans Aaron Colvin, Tyrann Mathieu and rookie Justin Reid. So the only other position with question, one that is vital to the comfort of Watson and the success of Bill O'Brien's offense, is running back.
Every good offense needs a reliable and deep running game to sustain success in the NFL. We all know that O'Brien loves to run the football, maybe a little too much, especially when he loses faith in his quarterback or passing game. The Texans expected big things when they signed Lamar Miller in 2016 and for the most part he has been steady in his two seasons as the feature back. He hasn't been spectacular, but his ability to take the majority of the carries, as well as catch balls out of the backfield has made him a vital cog in the Texans offensive game plan.
The biggest problem has been his lack of big plays and the abiilty to break big runs during the course of games. His longest run last season was 21 yards after ripping off a 45 yard scamper in his first year. He also only logged three rushing touchdowns last season, although the low scoring and predictable offense could be at least partially to blame for that minuscule number.
Behind Miller, the Texans had a young workhorse in D'Onta Foreman, a rookie out of the University of Texas. Drafted in the third round, he was brought along slowly at first, but then showed that he belonged in the NFL with a punishing, physical running style and above average quickness. Unfortunately that all came to a crashing hault when he tore his Achilles in November. The other back to recieve carries was 4-year veteran Alfred Blue. He has proven to be a good special teams contributor and has had a few flashes of productivity when called upon to carry the ball in spot duty.
Overall, the depth of the Texans running game has been something to be desired, especially with Foreman coming off a severe injury. With all the work that has been done to improve the roster this off season, why not add a veteran back to the mix, at least for training camp to give the team some insurance if Foreman isn't able to answer the bell in the early stages of the pre-season? Why not add Adrian Peterson?
Adrian Peterson is a proven commodity in this league that has been an MVP with the Vikings, been to seven Pro Bowls and been First Team All-pro four times. He is well beyond those years of being a feature back and carrying the load for a team, but he still has juice in the tank and a desire to prove that last season was more of a fluke than the end.
Peterson split time between the Saints and Cardinals last season, including struggling to find carries and time in a crowded backfield that included the experienced Mark Ingram and rookie sensation Alvin Kamara. Once he got to Arizona he was immediately thrown into the starting lineup and given the chance to once again toe the rock on a consistant basis. In six games with the Cardinals he racked up 448 yards on 129 carries, while averaging 3.5 yards per carry. Not quite the big time numbers of the past, but still a steady contributor that proved he could still be counted on to produce.
AP is still unsigned and lives in the Houston area. He keeps himself in excellent physical condition and has expressed his desire to play for the Texans if given the opportunity. If you are GM Brian Gaine, why not give him a shot? What do they have to lose? Sign him to a make good contract that is loaded with incentives and low on guarantees as you give him an opportunity to help the team while he helps himself. His experience can help Foreman while it buys time for him to fully recover from his injury. He could also prove to be a steady and reliable backup to Miller that gives O'Brien a change of pace in spot duty. If it works out, Gaine and the team look like geniuses and if it doesn't, both sides can walk away at least knowing they gave it a shot.
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How Houston Texans' defense now measures up to other NFL powerhouses
Mar 14, 2025, 2:22 pm
We’re inside two weeks to the Astros starting their regular season (Yes!), but the NFL hogged this week of the pro sports scene with its annual spend like drunken sailors shopping spree via free agency. The Texans’ activity has been interesting on both the free agent and trade fronts. Let’s dig in.
Let’s start with their Tunsil-ectomy. Laremy Tunsil was a very good though not superstar left tackle here. His embarrassing number of false starts notwithstanding, Tunsil was consistently their best pass protector. That might not be saying much relative to the rest of the offensive line, but it is not meant as damning with faint praise. Pro Bowl selections can come from reputation or flat-out bad voting, but being named a Pro Bowler five times in six seasons is at least a good indicator a guy doesn’t stink. Still, had he remained, Tunsil’s salary cap figure would have been a bloated 28 and a half million dollars. Getting second and third round draft picks from the Washington Commanders for Tunsil is a good return, though it is also telling that the Texans were willing to absorb 15 million dollars in dead salary cap space to offload him.
Cutting guard Shaq Mason costs the Texans another 12 and a half mil in dead cap space, a little over five million of that swallowed this year with the balance wasted in 2026. Nick Caserio signed Tunsil and Mason to the contract extensions the Texans ultimately chose to escape from early. Caserio’s first first round pick in charge was guard Kenyon Green, whose time with the Texans was an absolute flop. Dealing Green this week to the Super Bowl Champion Eagles for safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is an absolute win, almost regardless of how Gardner-Johnson performs here. “CGJ” joins Jalen Pitre and Calen Bullock in giving the Texans three talented safeties all 27 years old or younger. Back to the o-line. Two years in, former second round pick Juice Scruggs is a middling player at best. Off an undistinguished rookie season as a second rounder also, Blake Fisher has a prove himself season coming with the right tackle job seemingly being handed to him.
Tytus Howard presumably slots as the new left tackle. Season-to-season he has never been as good as Tunsil. At over 23 million dollars, Howard presently carries the second-biggest cap figure on the team, behind only Danielle Hunter. One guard spot in 2025 goes to value free agent signee Laken Tomlinson. Summing him up in one word, Tomlinson is middling. In another word he is durable. The 33-year-old Tomlinson has started every game for seven consecutive seasons. The downside is he’s just not that great. Hence the Texans get him on a one-year contract for four and a quarter mil. Yet, if Tomlinson can be an average starting guard that will be a substantial upgrade from their guard play in 2024. That leaves center and the other guard spot to sort through. Scruggs and Jarrett Patterson are still around. Caserio took a flier in trading a 2026 sixth round pick to Minnesota for guard Ed Ingram. After starting for two and a half seasons, a healthy Ingram was benched and didn’t play one snap apart from special teams in the Vikings’ last nine games. Ingram is only 26 years old and in the final season of his rookie contract. Again, he doesn’t need to be confused with prime-Mike Munchak to be able to improve the Texans at least incrementally.
Add it all up and Caserio has not done a good job where the o-line is concerned. His in-season remarks bleating about a “lazy narrative” from the media re: the weakness of that line were condescending and/or mistaken at the time, and now register as flat out ridiculous. The offensive coordinator and offensive line coach have been fired, three of the season-opening starting o-linemen have been jettisoned. With all of the changes, all offensive line problems going forward should be pinned squarely on Caserio. I think C.J. Stroud would agree.
Doubling down on defense
The Texans’ other free agent moves have been depth plays, most notably on the defensive line, re-signing defensive linemen Mario Edwards Jr., Derek Barnett, and Kurt Hinish, adding Darrell Taylor, and bringing back 2023 starter Sheldon Rankins after he had an injury-hindered 2024 with Cincinnati. The wide receiver room needed work. Stefon Diggs is probably gone, unfortunately Tank Dell is a question mark to play much at all in 2025. None among Robert Woods, John Metchie, and Xavier Hutchinson should be automatics for roster spots. The trade for Christian Kirk from Jacksonville adds a speed component at wideout. Maybe Justin Watson from Kansas City has sleeper contributor potential. Over the last two seasons with the Chiefs Watson caught 49 passes, five for touchdowns.
The next heavy lifting for the Texans comes with the NFL Draft, which starts April 24. The Texans have the 25th pick in the first round. Pending any other free agent moves of note, offensive line and wide receiver should remain top priorities.
Closing in on Opening Day, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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