The Houston Texans are embarking on what they hope to be a successful rebuild. After years of bungling their head coaching position, there is optimism that former standout linebacker, DeMeco Ryans, is the perfect fit for the job.
Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio look to be on the same page when it comes to the long-term plans for the team. While there is still plenty of work to do, the Texans should be more competitive in 2023 than they have been in recent seasons.
Not only did they add some capable veterans to the mix this offseason via free agency, Houston now has what they hope to be two building blocks on their roster. With the second pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Texans selected Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud. In a shocking move, they completed a trade with the Arizona Cardinals to acquire the third pick as well, selecting Alabama star pass rusher Will Anderson Jr.
Time will tell if that move was a worthwhile one for the Texans to make, as they traded away their 2024 first-round pick as well. But, if those two pan out, no one will care about how much it cost the Texans to trade up into the No. 3 spot.
Heading into the 2023 season, there are plenty of challenges ahead. There are a lot of people in positions for the first time in the NFL, which could lead to a bumpy road at times. That is partly why getting a rookie quarterback and offensive play caller up to speed is the biggest challenge the Texans will face in the opinion of Eric Edholm of NFL.com.
“C.J. Stroud will have every opportunity to win the starting gig right away with an impressive training camp. He’s a good rhythm passer with the ability to play outside the pocket, so it appears as if he’ll be a nice fit in the Shanahan-steeped system new coordinator Bobby Slowik is expected to implement. But Slowik is a first-year play-caller, which likely means he and Stroud will experience some growing pains together — especially considering the Texans have a less-than-complete group of pass catchers right now. Houston faces a few tougher challenges early in the season, so one key will be getting Stroud as up-to-speed as possible on all of the intricacies of the offense. The No. 2 overall pick needs to be at a point where he can think and play fast, ASAP.”
If the Texans want to ensure that Stroud is in as good of a position as possible, he could start the season as the No. 2 behind Davis Mills. There are some challenging matchups in the first six weeks of the season, while the schedule does ease up a bit after their bye in Week 7.
But, if Stroud wins the job, facing some adversity early on could be a good lesson to learn. Things aren’t going to come easy to him and the Texans in 2023, but some foundation could be laid for what they hope is a very successful future.
