Four Decisions That Will Shape The Houston Texans Offseason

Dec 28, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans defensive end

(99) waves to the crowd after the Texans defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 23-17 at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

As we approach the official opening of free agency in the NFL, there are four very clear positions where the Texans decisions will completely shape or alter their off-season plans.  This time of year as the NFL combine has wrapped up, serious football fans begin to focus on college players that they likely barely paid attention to during the season.

Mock drafts will be presented and update every time you turn around.  The problem with all of this is until some decisions are made in free agency any mock draft you see right now is barely worth the time it took to put it together because needs can change fairly dramatically between now and the draft for some teams.

Oct 9, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans general manager Rick Smith before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Some football teams will claim, “we don’t draft for need” and Texans GM Rick Smith has been quoted as saying that as well.  Although, as overall poor of a draft track record as he has, perhaps he should consider changing that focus.

In the past two drafts the Texans have managed only three players that are even penciled in as starters headed into the 2015 season out of 19 players.  And one of them, Jadeveon Clowney, we have no idea if he will be healthy enough to do so.  Some of those misses have been due to injury, however nine of those 19 players where either not on the active roster last season or not with the team altogether.  But this is the subject of another article entirely.

The truth is the best picks in the NFL are where talent meets need.  A team may not draft strictly on need, exampled by the Texans not taking a QB until the 4th round this past year.  But the picks ahead of that QB were needs that the Texans were trying to fill.

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Teams typically won’t over-draft players based on need, but anyone would be crazy to think teams don’t consider their two or three most pressing needs in a draft and do what they can, within reason, to fill them.

But before we can even logically start to ponder what the Texans will do in the draft with any level of specifics, first they have to answer these questions.

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