The Houston Texans head into their preseason finale with more roster questions than clean answers, and tonight’s game against the Carolina Panthers could do some real sorting before the cuts get serious.
No starters are expected to play, but plenty of depth pieces are still fighting for their place on the 53-man roster. Injuries have already complicated the picture, and that means some decisions may come down to availability as much as performance.
One of the biggest puzzles sits up front. Houston’s offensive line looked one way against the Los Angeles Chargers, then came out looking different against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Between those two games, Rutledge moved back to his natural spot at guard, veteran addition Evan Brown took over at center and Trent Brown handled right tackle duties. That shuffle pushed both of Houston’s big-name free-agent additions, Teller and Smith, onto the second unit against the Raiders.
That setup has raised plenty of questions about how the coaching staff is viewing the line right now. Some see it as an effort to test combinations.
Others wonder whether the new arrangement has already started to define the pecking order, especially in Smith’s case after the plantar fascia injury he suffered during joint practice with the Panthers. Tonight could reveal how far those two are really slipping if they are not the starters.
The back end of the running back room is just as unsettled. Jawhar Jordan and Noah Whittington are both dealing with injuries late in the preseason, which leaves Houston trying to figure out who fills the third running back role early in the regular season.
British Brooks has recently returned after breaking his hand a little over three weeks ago in training camp, and the Texans also added former Dallas Cowboys runner Deuce Vaughn to the mix alongside second-year player Owen Wright. That gives the team a few options while the injured backs work back, but it still does not make the picture any clearer. The final call may come down to whether DeMeco Ryans and the staff feel they’ve seen enough from Jordan, Whittington and Brooks, unless someone puts together a huge night against Carolina.
Wide receiver may be the most crowded of the three situations. Houston’s group currently includes Collins, Boutte, Hutchinson and Noel, and those four appear to be the safest bets right now. That still leaves two or three spots in play for the other six players in the room.
Wayne and Bond have separated themselves into the next tier, helped by strong work through camp and the preseason. Their standing has also been boosted by Jayden Higgins’ season-ending ACL tear and Dell’s uncertain return, which have opened the door a little wider.
If Wayne and Bond are both in, then there may only be one more spot left for a pass catcher, and that would likely depend on Dell beginning the season on Injured Reserve. If that happens, someone else still has a chance to force his way into the picture tonight. With no obvious favorite in that final race, the Panthers game could end up deciding the last seat at the table.
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That opens the door for Solomon Byrd, Sabastian Harsh and Derek Parish to get a much longer look in preseason action, and those snaps matter with final roster decisions approaching. How Houston sorts out the edge depth could come down to the recovery timelines for Clowney and Robinson, leaving the last few weeks before Week 1 with more questions than the Texans likely wanted at one of their most important spots. [Read more 🡒]