Houston Texans: DeAndre Carter has morphed into a solid addition to team

Houston Texans wide receiver and punt/kick returner DeAndre Carter has been a solid, late-season addition the team. What makes him tick? Let’s glance.

The Houston Texans success story of just accomplishing a nine-game win streak for the first time in franchise history is just as remarkable as the story behind DeAndre Carter being signed to the squad.

Carter has been a pleasant surprise for the Houston Texans, allowing his versatility to emanate from within. He has been primarily used on kick/punt returns but with Keke Coutee‘s health being an immense factor for this season, Bill O’Brien has decided to use Carter in the slot as well.

It has paid notable dividends on that front and he already has caught 10 balls for 101 yards of which his 50-yard catch was pivotal in last Saturday’s win 29-22 win over the New York Jets. He’s a speedy receiver that has been able to fill-in well in a spot that has had uncertainty for as long as I can remember.

Carter’s greatest strengths were some of the weaknesses that former fourth-round pick Tyler Ervin had this season before the team decided to release him. It was surprising that the team had brought him back this season but it was apparent that the writing was on the wall and it was time to sever their ties.

There was so much promise out of the lightning-quick running back but either his production or his health would be of concern. None of which Ervin was able to quite strike a balance with.

But now that Carter is in the fold, he has returned nine punts for 82 yards, averaging 9.1 yards per punt with his longest return being 25 yards. In terms of kick returns, he has returned four for 99 yards, averaging 24.8 yards per kick return.

Those numbers are quite on par with Ervin’s 8.3 yards per punt and 25.3 yards per kick return this season but where he has the advantage is that he’s a valuable weapon that still has the ability to get open and blow his defenders out of the water, is his calling card.

Although he recorded one fumble against the Tennessee Titans in Week 12 and two against the

More from House of Houston

Cleveland Browns the following week, he’s cleaned those inaccuracies up to ensure his bringing the utmost of value from himself to the roster.

Carter, an 2015 undrafted free agent out of Sacramento State is quite traveled, having had stops with the Baltimore Ravens, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles before joining the Houston Texans.

Despite getting knocked down with a roster cut, the man has stayed upright, ensuring that he makes the most of each opportunity that has been given to him.

Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle notes that Carter became a substitute teacher after getting cut by the Pats and just stayed ready for his next opportunity. Carter notes that he just wanted to give back to the community in some way and having coming up from a rough upbringing helped him relate to the kids he interacted with while on the job.

Carter has truly been a pleasant surprise and there were weeks I had reservations wondering why the team had cut Bruce Ellington, who was their specialist last season, when the concerns about Coutee’s health still mount.

But as the weeks roll on — I’m getting quite comfortable seeing Carter lined up with the other 10 men on offense — especially with his counterparts in DeAndre Hopkins and Demaryius Thomas — and it’s quite refreshing.

Next. Three Texans Pro Bowl snubs. dark

As the Houston Texans start marching toward the postseason, I think Carter will be a valuable piece to this offense as well as the special teams moving forward.

Shine on DeAndre, shine on…

Home/Houston Texans