The former third round pick disappointed after his return from injury
What's next for Texans after waiving D'Onta Foreman?
Aug 4, 2019, 9:49 am
Sunday morning the Texans cut former 2017 third rounder D'Onta Foreman. Here are the options currently on the team behind Lamar Miller, some thoughts on free agents, and how Foreman ended up in this spot.
Foreman's fall
It's hard to not get exited about the selection of D'Onta Foreman back in 2017. He was the Doak Walker award winner which is awarded to the nation's top running back, he was a consensus All-American and he was from the Greater Houston area.
Foreman's torn Achilles robbed him of the last parts of 2017 and pretty much all of the 2018 season. The injury took away at least six games he could have shown his stuff and he was far from right in 2018. You could see the injury took a toll on him.
Coming into this season Foreman had changed his body. He looked more fit than he had been and claimed he felt as good as he did in high school. The new body didn't translate into results. I have speculated he was in workout shape but not football shape.
His work during camp had been lackluster to say the least. He was regularly average to below-average with the ball in his hands and his pass blocking was overall bad. Bill O'Brien made it very clear early in camp there was one running back who wasn't competing for a spot and that was Lamar Miller. D'Onta Foreman, it seems, didn't get the message.
I wouldn't be shocked to see him get another chance somewhere else. He just wasn't a fit for this Texans team it seems.
Never should have been in this position
Maybe this is something that can be shoved off on Brian Gaine, but the Texans never should be in the situation they currently reside. Lamar Miller is the lone back with real NFL rushing experience. The rest of the roster is either a special teams expert, fringe roster player who has been around a few years, or an undrafted rookie.
There have been so many worthwhile running backs, both expensive and a bargain, that could have helped the Texans. Tevin Coleman signed for peanuts. C.J. Anderson showcased there was plenty left in the tank last year. T.J. Yeldon would have been a decent compliment. And just recently Theo Riddick was a free agent but signed up with a crowded Denver room.
There could have been some addressing of the position via the draft too but instead added another young tight end to the roster in the third round over the likes of Alabama's Damien Harris and Oklahoma State's Justice Hill.
Current free agents
Jay Ajayi is coming back off an ACL injury but that was in week five, a few weeks before Will Fuller who is good to go now. I like the idea of Ajayi. He has played in multiple systems and is still young. If there was a free agent addition he would be my choice.
Jacquizz Rodgers with his connection to the area (Lamar Consolidated) would have been nice but he was signed by the Saints around the same moment Foreman was released. LeGarrette Blount is a free agent and in theory is a nice power option until you realize he rushed for 2.7 yards per carry last year. Stevan Ridley was a rookie when Bill O'Brien was the offensive coordinator in New England, but he was bad last year for the Steelers.
Free agency, currently, is thin. The Texans might be looking to add a player to the roster if they get cut in the coming weeks or even during roster cut down.
Taiwan Jones
A special teams ace who has had 44 carries in his eight-year NFL career to this point. Going into his ninth year he could very-well make the roster but if he does as the backup consider it a clear failure by the front office. I can understand his usefulness as a depth player but he shouldn't end up the backup.
Karan Higdon
The former Wolverines ball carrier was slow to start his offseason after a surgery earlier this year. He has made up for it in the short amount of time in camp though. He has some juice to him and is a willing special teams player. There have been a few moments where he's showcased athleticism and sideways movement.
He had the 18th most yards per game in college football last year and had the 29th most rushing yards. I have to wonder how much being behind will affect his ability. He's catching up to where other undrafted players are though.
Damarea Crockett
Crockett was fantastic in 2016 for the Missouri Tiger but never replicated that season's success. He has had an up and down camp to this point with success on the goal line, he tattooed a couple of defenders carrying them into the end zone, and some failures, he's been stuffed after a bad cut. If I had to have a depth chart tomorrow and put someone behind Miller I likely would put Crockett there but I wouldn't feel great about it.
Josh Ferguson
He has played sparingly in the NFL since making his debut for the Colts in 2016. He garnered high praise from O'Brien in the spring work but hasn't stood out in camp. I'm not sure how much of a factor he can be in this situation.
Buddy Howell
The second-year back was a special teams only player last year for the Texans. He was one of the running backs not mentioned by name, along with Foreman, from the other day when Bill O'Brien was mentioning player's ability to be used on special teams. I do not see any way he can make this team.
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The Houston Astros are finally starting to show signs of turning the corner. After a sluggish start to the season, the offense is beginning to click, the pitching staff remains dominant, and the impact of the Kyle Tucker trade is starting to look like a clear win.
One of the more encouraging developments has been the recent plate discipline from Christian Walker. Known for his power but also for chasing pitches out of the zone, Walker has now drawn multiple walks in four straight games. It's a sign that his approach is tightening up—and he's recovered from his oblique discomfort, starting every game this season.
Yainer Diaz has also provided a much-needed spark. After a quiet stretch at the plate, Diaz came alive with a grand slam against the Angels, his most impactful swing of the year and a potential sign that his bat is heating up.
But the biggest buzz in Houston may be around the players acquired in the Kyle Tucker trade. Cam Smith has looked like he belongs in the big leagues, holding his own at the plate and flashing confidence in the field. Isaac Paredes, meanwhile, has posted a higher OPS than Alex Bregman, while right-hander Hayden Wesneski turned heads by striking out 10 Angels in a dominant start. Early returns suggest the deal could pay off big for the Astros.
Statistically, the Astros offense is still a work in progress, but it's no longer at the bottom of the barrel. After sitting dead last in slugging and near the bottom in OPS last week, Houston has climbed to 23rd in team OPS—right in the mix with the Rangers and Mariners. Slugging percentage still lags behind (27th overall), but there's some movement in the right direction.
Houston has scored the 21st-most runs in the league—better than only the Rangers in the AL West. Yet thanks to strong pitching, the Astros sit at +2 in run differential, the only team in the division with a positive mark.
That pitching has been the backbone of the team so far. Houston ranks 13th in ERA at 3.69, is third in opponent batting average (.190), and leads all of Major League Baseball in strikeouts with 166. It’s a staff that keeps them in every game and has the potential to dominate when the offense catches up.
The early season numbers still reflect a team trying to find its footing, but the signs are there. If the recent progress continues—Walker’s improved discipline, Diaz’s power, and the emergence of new contributors—Houston could soon be back to the top of the AL West.
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