2006 NFL Preview: The Houston Texans

Quarterback- David Carr is going to spend a little less time on the turf in 2006 with the addition of former Packers head coach Mike Sherman as an offensive assistant and line coach. Sherman is a former college coach and NFL assistant who will help save Carr from having a career similar to Archie Manning, who was beaten to a pulp on a regular basis due to poor line play. Carr will make fewer mistakes and look for the young quarterback to look more mature and polished in the pocket. Behind Carr will be veteran backup Sage Rosenfels who is adequate at filling in but over the long term is not good enough to help the young Texans improve. At the third quarterback spot, the battle will be between rookies Matt Baker (North Carolina) and Quinton Porter (Boston College), with Porter more athletic and probably a better pro prospect than Baker.
2006 NFL Grade: B-

Running back/ Full back- The Texans need Domanick Davis to continue his development into a starting NFL back in 2006 in order to take pressure off of David Carr. Davis will get his 1,000 yards and some receptions out of the backfield, but don’t expect miracles when teams stack up against the run when the pass doesn’t work. Behind Davis is Vernand Morency, who is a good young backup running back and will be able to take some carries when Davis needs a breather. At fullback, the Texans will go with Jameel Cook and Nick Luchey, with Cook a critical piece to Gary Kubiak’s offensive scheme.
2006 NFL Grade: B-

Wide Receiver/Tight End- David Carr needs targets and receivers Andre Johnson and Eric Moulds should be good enough to give Carr a one-two punch for the 2006 season. Johnson is an outstanding talent at receiver and Moulds is a veteran who can mentor Johnson over the next couple of seasons. Johnson will have a Pro Bowl season and will make Carr look better because of his playmaking ability. At tight end, Gary Kubiak has some options, with veteran Mark Bruener, former Bronco Jeb Putzier, and rookie Owen Daniels all capable of blocking and making receptions. Look for Putzier and Daniels to really step up and play well at tight end and be integral to the running game.
2006 NFL Grade: B+

Offensive Line- The biggest weakness of the Texans team still remains the offensive line, which has been a sieve for opposing defenses to take shots at David Carr. The problem is that Charlie Casserley and Gary Kubiak really did not make moves to improve their offensive line this offseason and are hoping that the injury bug won’t strike again in 2006. While Steve McKinney and Zach Weigert, among others, are talented, they have not been on the field long enough to help out the offense. As well, some of their linemen are getting old or have underachieved, which does not bode well for the offense. The difference between a drastic and a negligible improvement for the Texans is the line and expects more of the same from this group in 2006.
2006 NFL Grade: D+

Defensive Line- The Texans may have been better served by selecting D’Brickshaw Ferguson with the first overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft because of need, but Mario Williams is a freak physically and has a motor that does not stop. Williams will be an instant upgrade to the defense on the pass rush and will probably end up as the Rookie of the Year. Travis Johnson is a dominating defensive tackle and Seth Payne is a veteran presence on the interior that will be able to stuff the run. This unit is perhaps the best on the Houston Texans and their youth in Williams and Johnson will make them a force for the next decade.
2006 NFL Grade: A-

Linebacker- Rookie DeMeco Ryans will be a solid addition to the Texans linebacker corps, which is a deep and solid group. Kailee Wong is a solid NFL linebacker and he will get help from veteran Sam Cowart and young backers DaShon Polk and Morlon Greenwood. Ryans and Wong will be solid playmakers for the Texans defense this season, but look for some good things from Cowart, Polk, and Greenwood, who will benefit from their teammates’ good play and an improved defensive line.
2006 NFL Grade: B

Defensive Back- The cornerbacks for Houston are outstanding talents and once they learn how to play as a unit instead of individual parts, the Texans will have some big play potential on defense. Phillip Buchanon and Dunta Robinson are talented, athletic backs that are capable of making a big play on any throw. However, they need to mature and become familiar with one another over the 2006 season in order to give the defense a chance at stopping the deep ball.
2006 NFL Grade: B+

Kicker/Punter- The Texans have been fairly consistent with their specialists since entering the league, with kicker Kris Brown and punter Chad Stanley with Houston over the last couple of seasons. Brown is a consistent kicker that won’t make the big mistake in clutch situations and will maybe win one or two games for a defensive minded Texans team. Stanley needs to stay consistent to give their defense a chance and pin teams deep in their territory, or the Texans will have another long season.
2006 NFL Grade: B-

2006 NFL Projection- Gary Kubiak will be a good NFL coach but Houston could only make so many moves in the 2006 offseason to improve their team. Look for Houston to improve slightly in 2006 but still hanging onto the bottom of the AFC South, but 2007 and 2008 will be even better for Houston.