Houston Texans fans are focused on this month's training camp after the team wrapped up organized team activities (OTAs) and their mandatory minicamp this spring. The Texans' training camp will be back at Houston Methodist Training Center, with rookies and veterans both reporting on July 22.
Even though this year's 53-man roster won't be finalized for almost two months, Texans fans can expect to see plenty of new faces in head coach DeMeco Ryans' lineup. One of those happens to be a veteran wide receiver who can't afford any mistakes during the lead-up to training camp if he wants to have a key role this fall.
Texans WR Braxton Berrios Can't Afford to Slack Off Before Training Camp
Stefon Diggs leaving down and Tank Dell likely missing all of 2025 due to injury left the Texans looking for wide receiver help early this offseason. Their quest took them to find help in free agency, resulting in their signing veteran WR Braxton Berrios to a one-year, $1.8 million contract.
Berrios, 29, is a six-year veteran who's played 87 career games between the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets after being drafted 210th overall by the New England Patriots in 2018. The former Miami (FL) product has racked up 1,323 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 134 catches during that stretch, while also playing plenty of special-teams opportunities, including when he was named All-Pro first-team in 2021.
Despite his experience, Berrios' outlook has changed a lot since he put pen to paper. The Texans' WR room looks much different after drafting Iowa State's Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel in April, and it's possible the rookie duo has already launched Berrios down the depth chart without even playing a game.
That's without mentioning Nico Collins and Christian Kirk, who are easily more talented than Berrios, or John Metchie III, Xavier Hutchinson, and Justin Watson, who are all veterans hungry to crack the roster.
While Berrios' experience as a returner could save him, even that isn't guaranteed. Hutchinson, Dameon Pierce, and Tremon Smith all have experience on special teams, and their presence could make Berrios expendable if he doesn't stand out from the pack. For what it's worth, Spotrac lists the Texans as saving $1.37 million in a potential buyout.
Free-agent signings don't always pan out, and Berrios' contract could be the latest example. If the Texans already feel like he doesn't have a spot on the team, it makes sense to cut ties and let him find a role elsewhere before training camps begin.