The Houston Texans' offseason was glamorous. They brought in wide receiver Stefon Diggs and running back Joe Mixon -- two veteran skill players sure to make a big impact in the 2024 NFL season. They built a contender around second-year star quarterback CJ Stroud, but where are the remaining holes in the roster?
Now, Stroud's emergence during his rookie season signaled the alarm for Houston to go all-in on winning now and competing for a Super Bowl. A lot went right for the team to jump from three wins to ten wins a season go. Now it's up to the franchise and Texans general manager Nick Caserio to patch any holes and give the team its best chance to win at the highest level.
ESPN's Aaron Schatz looked at one final move for each franchise to make ahead of training camp, which has the Texans signing free agent cornerback Xavier Howard. The team has questions about the cornerback position, though they've made a handful of moves to address it. They don't have to stop, though, as more competition in training camp would help the team make the best move about the cornerback rotation.
"There still are questions about what the Texans will do at cornerback opposite Derek Stingley Jr.," Schatz wrote. "They have second-round rookie Kamari Lassiter, but he might be needed in the slot. They also have two former first-round picks turned retreads, Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson. "
Lassiter will be an impact player early, but as Schatz alluded to, he's likely going to make his money defending the slot. Okudah and Henderson both have the potential to start opposite Singley Jr., but it'll be a battle. Why not add one more cornerback to fight for the job?
"Why not add a strong veteran option while they hold a camp battle at the position? Howard might be better than anyone on the roster other than Stingley," Schatz added. "Stephon Gilmore and Adoree' Jackson are similar options, although Gilmore is three years older than Howard."
Needless to say, there are options and avenues for Houston to add to their cornerbacks room, or they can sit on their hands and hope that Okudah or Henderson turn things around and become a viable starter for them.
