The former third round pick disappointed after his return from injury

What's next for Texans after waiving D'Onta Foreman?

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 Astros can make some hay against the lowly White Sox. Composite Getty Image.

The Astros open a three-game set Tuesday night against the struggling Chicago White Sox, looking to put together a solid homestand and maintain their lead atop the AL West.

Houston enters the series at 36-29, including a 22-12 mark at Daikin Park, where they've consistently found ways to win behind timely hitting and quality pitching. They'll send Lance McCullers (1-1, 4.44 ERA) to the mound, hoping he can keep the momentum going against a White Sox team that has labored all year, particularly on the road.

Chicago comes in at 22-44 overall and just 6-26 away from home, though starter Shane Smith (2-3, 2.45 ERA) has been a bright spot in an otherwise dim season. He’ll be tasked with trying to quiet a Houston lineup that’s been inconsistent of late but remains dangerous when it clicks — the Astros are 20-3 in games where they score five or more runs.

Jeremy Peña continues to lead the way at the plate, hitting .316 with nine homers and 32 RBIs, while Jake Meyers is coming off a four-hit game on Sunday and is 11-for-35 over the past 10 games. If those two stay hot, Houston could have an edge against the young right-hander.

The White Sox have gotten recent production from Chase Meidroth and Miguel Vargas, but overall remain one of the most inconsistent offenses in the league. Like Houston, they tend to win when they hit — they’re 14-3 in games where they’ve scored at least five runs — but those games have been few and far between.

Both teams have shown flashes in recent days. Over their last 10 games, the Astros are 6-4 but have been outscored overall, while the White Sox are 4-6 despite a slightly better run differential. With Houston favored at -195 and an over/under of 8, the pressure will be on McCullers to set the tone early — and on the bats to back him up.

The teams will meet for the fourth time this season Tuesday night, with first pitch set for 8:10 p.m. ET.


*ChatGPT assisted.

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