The Houston Texans will be gearing up for training camp later this month after a good OTAs and mandatory minicamp. These offseason workouts were a tremendous opportunity for both rookies and veterans to show head coach DeMeco Ryans why they deserve a spot on the 53-man roster.
Several players on the bubble will get one more chance to prove themselves starting later this month with training camp and preseason play in August. These reps are invaluable and could help a fringe vet make the team. Or an undrafted rookie who wants to prove the doubters wrong.
One Texans veteran tight end is hoping to be on the final 53-man roster when preseason wraps up, but it won’t be easy, as he has a lot of competition standing in his way.
Texans TE Irv Smith Jr. Already on Chopping Block Ahead of Training Camp
Earlier this offseason, the Texans re-signed the 26-year-old tight end to a one-year, $1.23 million deal in free agency. Smith played five games with Houston last year after joining the Texans in mid-September.
The Texans signed the veteran pass catcher to the practice squad after the Kansas City Chiefs cut him at the end of the preseason. Smith didn’t make his Texans’ debut until Week 13 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the former Alabama standout didn’t have a single catch or target in the five games he played last year.
That said, the Texans still wanted to bring him back for training camp as Smith provided them with another veteran in the room. However, he has a tough road ahead in making the 53-man roster this summer.
The Texans currently have Dalton Schultz and Cade Stover, who likely are the top two tight ends on the depth chart.
Then there’s Brevin Jordan, whom the Texans re-signed to a one-year deal in December despite sustaining a torn ACL earlier in the 2024 season. The last thing we heard or saw about Jordan was him running without a brace in February.
The Texans likely hope he’s ready by the start of the season or beforehand to be their TE3, as he still has a lot of talent and athleticism that just hasn’t materialized. At the same time, Houston also took a tight end in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft in Luke Lachey.
Over his five-year career at Iowa, Lachey had 74 receptions for 893 yards and four touchdowns across 42 total games. The Texans will likely want to see if the rookie can push for the TE3 or a practice squad spot.
Given that he’s on a one-year contract, Houston can easily cut ties with Smith if things don’t work out at any time and can use his spot for another position of need. The veteran tight end needs a huge training camp, but it's hard to believe it will happen with how his career has gone thus far.