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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Positions the Houston Texans Still Need to Bolster with Depth - Bleacher Report

The Houston Texans proved last season that their team had incredible depth. It seemed that key players on both sides of the ball were going down due to injury each week, yet the Texans continued to persevere. 

After each injury, the Texans rallied behind the backup, and they took on the philosophy of "Next Man Up."

Despite injuries to Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, Andre Johnson, Mario Williams, Matt Leinart, Daneal Manning and Mike Brisiel, the Texans managed to make it to the postseason for the first time in franchise history and also come a hairsbreadth away from making it to the AFC Championship.

The Texans, however, still have some positions on both offense and defense that can be bolstered with depth, and this article will outline the most critical positions the Texans must fill in the near future. 

Wide Receiver

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John Grieshop/Getty Images

Kevin Walter forever etched himself into Texans lore when he caught the game-winning touchdown pass from T.J. Yates, which clinched the franchise's first-ever playoff appearance. 

Walter, however, along with all of the receivers on the Texans roster, other than Andre Johnson, has not proven himself to be a playmaker in the NFL. He is the team's No. 2 wide receiver, and the best qualities about him are that he is a solid blocker and that he has dependable hands when open.

Behind Walter, the Texans receivers are all young, extremely inexperienced athletes who are looking to make a name for themselves in the league. It cannot be known, however, if DeVier Posey, Lestar Jean, Keshawn Martin or even Dwight Jones will be successful at the next level.

If the Texans are to acquire the deadly combination of an efficient running game and an explosive passing game, then find a way to better the depth at the wide receiver position. Sure, the Texans' young receivers are exciting and still full of potential, but they have not proven anything yet, and it cannot be said if they will succeed or not. 

If these receivers cannot become acclimated to the NFL, then the Texans must find a way to improve the receiver position behind Johnson.

Furthermore, Johnson is aging, and injuries have set him back in the past seasons. The day is fast approaching when Johnson will no longer be the elite receiver that he once was, and it a necessity for the Texans to make sure the loss of Johnson in the future will not severely harm the effectiveness of the wide receiving core.

Cornerback

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Bob Levey/Getty Images

Behind Johnathan Joseph, a Pro Bowler, the Texans' depth at the cornerback position is weak and shaky. 

Kareem Jackson has yet to prove that he can be a successful starter at the NFL level, but with the loss of Jason Allen in free agency, none of his backups have either.

Brice McCain is an extremely skilled cornerback, but he is undersized at 5'9" and 185 pounds, and he will be confined to a nickel role, covering the opposing teams' slot receivers. 

That leaves the Texans with few other options at cornerback, as Brandon Harris, Roc Carmichael and Sherrick McManis all have little NFL experience. If Joseph or Jackson suffer an injury, then the Texans will be forced to start a cornerback who may become detrimental to team's stingy defense.

In the near future, the Texans must bolster their depth at cornerback, whether it be through the draft or free agency.

Offensive Tackle

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Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

The Texans currently have three true tackles on their roster. The other, Derek Newton, is a swing lineman who is still considered to be a project.

Of those three true tackles, only one, Duane Brown, has proven himself in the NFL. Brown has Pro Bowl-caliber talent, and he will be a very important part of a Texans offensive line that lost two starters in free agency.

The other two tackles, Rashad Butler and Nick Mondek, have not proven themselves to be viable players in the NFL. Butler has been a career backup since he was drafted back in 2006, and he now finds himself with the starting job due to the departure of Eric Winston in free agency.

Nick Mondek was a sixth-round pick in this year's draft, and he, like Newton, is considered a project who should probably sit a season or more and become accustomed to the Texans' blocking scheme.

Therefore, that leaves the Texans with only two tackles who have NFL experience, and two others who are still not considered NFL material, yet.

Depth is an issue here at the tackle position, and the Texans must find a way to fill it before it comes back to hurt them.

Fullback

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Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images

Currently, the fullback position on the Texans roster is filled with one player who is half-fullback and half-tight end, and an undrafted free agent.

James Casey, last year's starter at the position, was informed by Gary Kubiak that he would be the team's back-up tight end in passing situations. The Texans utilize a lot of two tight end sets in their passing offense, so Casey should see a lot of action at that position. Casey will also be expected to be the team's starting fullback, as well as play on special-teams.

Due to this, the Texans have a great need for a back-up fullback who can play as efficiently as a starter, as the backup will receive much more playing time due to Casey's dual role in the offense.

Right now, the only other fullback on the Texans roster is the undrafted Jason Ford, and while he has the athleticism to play the fullback position, he does not yet have the skill-set. He is inefficient as a receiver out of the backfield, and ball security is a major concern for him.

In order to fill their depth need at fullback, the Texans may have to look at a veteran free agent that is still available, such as Ahmard Hall, instead of Jason Ford.

Nose Tackle

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Bob Levey/Getty Images

In a 3-4 defense, the type that defensive coordinator Wade Phillips employs, the nose tackle is a key position. 

The nose's main objective is to plug up the holes at the point of attack and to be an essential part of team's rush defense. Typically, the best nose tackles in the NFL are extremely large space-fillers whose size allows them to be successful.

On the Texans, however, both of their nose tackles, Shaun Cody and Earl Mitchell, are undersized for their position. Wade Phillips likes them because they use their smaller size and quickness to their advantage, which allows them to penetrate the backfield. 

While Cody and Mitchell certainly do not hinder the Texans defense, they both definitely do not improve it. They simply do their job, neither excelling nor disappointing. 

The Texans have the opportunity to add a nose tackle to their 53-man roster, Hebron Fangupo, who could improve the defense significantly. 

Fangupo weighs in at 323 pounds, and he is also considered to be extremely strong, even for his size. He was made to the play the nose tackle position, and he can be the answer to the Texans' nose tackle needs.

When it comes time to cut down to a 53-man roster, it would be wise for the Texans to give their defense an opportunity to greatly improve by not cutting the undrafted free agent, Hebron Fangupo.

Halfback

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Chris Trotman/Getty Images

The Texans have one of the most dangerous halfback combinations in the NFL with Ben Tate and Arian Foster. The two combined for 2,166 yards last season, even though both missed time due to injuries. 

While the Texans do have a two-headed attack with Foster and Tate, they do not yet have a third-string halfback. It is imperative that the Texans find a back who can successfully take over the role as the team's third-stringer.

A solid third-string running back can greatly help a team's offense. He can take a significant load of carries late in the fourth quarter when his team is in position to win the game, so the health of the starting and back-up halfbacks will not be jeopardized. Furthermore, a good third-stringer will be able to draw out time towards the ends of games and prevent the opposing team from staging a comeback.

The Texans have a need to fill depth at the halfback position, and they will most likely do so by choosing either Jonathan Grimes or Davin Meggett, both of whom were undrafted free agents.

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