It feels like the Houston Texans' offseason went from free agency to the second week of June in the blink of an eye. The 2025 NFL draft and organized team activities (OTAs) are officially in the rearview mirror now, meaning the Texans' focus is solely on Tuesday's start to their mandatory minicamp before training camp opens next month.
It's no secret that certain Texans used the early part of the offseason to separate themselves from the pack, positioning themselves more favorably in the eyes of head coach DeMeco Ryans' staff. On the other hand, other Houston players have disappointingly failed to make an impact early on, including one new arrival who already looks like a letdown.
Texans WR Braxton Berrios Has Been Letting Houston Down
The Texans addressed their wide receiver room shortly after free agency began, signing veteran playmaker Braxton Berrios to a one-year, $1.8 million contract. With Stefon Diggs leaving town and Tank Dell likely missing all of 2025 due to injury, Houston clearly hoped Berrios could help make quarterback C.J. Stroud's life easier.
Although the 29-year-old receiver/returner suffered a torn ACL while with the Miami Dolphins last season, the Texans were still willing to roll the dice on him. He's a former first-team All-Pro special teamer who has 134 catches for 1,323 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 87 career games, making him the type of versatile threat who could add another dimension to the lineup.
Instead of immediately standing out, though, Berrios has been largely invisible since joining the Texans. In fact, the ex-Miami Hurricane even sat out of voluntary OTAs, which would've given him a chance to get into Ryans & Co.'s good graces as a new arrival.
Berrios' lack of OTA participation potentially saw him surpassed on the depth chart by rookie playmakers Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. The first-year duo has all of the tools to make an immediate impact, and likely has more upside than their veteran counterpart returning from a major injury.
With fellow fresh faces Christian Kirk and Justin Watson on the team, along with various returning names in the mix (Nico Collins, Xavier Hutchinson, John Metchie III, etc.), it's safe to say that Berrios' signing is already a bust.
He isn't likely to shake up the WR depth chart at this stage of the offseason, and that's without mentioning how Hutchinson, Dameon Pierce, and Tremon Smith could leave him obsolete as a returner if he can't get back on the field soon. If Houston is ready to cut ties this quickly, apotential trade/cut would save over $1.37 million in cap space, according to Spotrac.
The Texans were likely hoping that Berrios would make a bigger impact when they put pen to paper in March. Instead, Houston fans are wondering if the veteran pass-catcher has what it takes to survive mandatory minicamp, let alone make it to the 53-man roster.