ESPN’s latest offseason grades gave the Houston Texans a respectable B-, but the one move Seth Walder singled out as his biggest gripe is the same one that might end up paying off the most.
Walder pointed to Houston’s trade with the Detroit Lions for David Montgomery as the low point of the Texans’ offseason, citing the draft capital involved and Montgomery’s age. Houston sent over fourth- and seventh-round picks, with OL Juice Scruggs included as a throw-in, and Walder made his stance clear: "I was much less enthused by the Montgomery trade, in which the Texans gave up fourth- and seventh-round picks (plus OL Juice Scruggs as a throw-in)," Walder wrote. "The team needed a running back to pair with Woody Marks, but considering Montgomery's age -- 29 is ancient in running back years -- this was an inefficient use of resources."
There’s a real argument there. A fourth-round pick for a 29-year-old back is not nothing, and Montgomery probably isn’t the kind of player you build around for the long haul. At best, this looks like a window that runs a few seasons, not a forever fix.
But calling it Houston’s worst offseason move feels too harsh when the roster context is laid out plainly. The Texans had to do something at running back.
Joe Mixon’s injury still appears to be lingering into next season, and the depth behind him wasn’t strong enough to ignore. Add in the fact that Houston’s run game struggled in 2025, and the position became one of the most obvious problems on the roster.
That left Houston with a short list of realistic paths. Free agency would have cost them a chunk of cap flexibility.
Drafting a back meant working in a class that was thin outside of Jeremiyah Love, and the Texans likely would have needed to spend more than the fourth-rounder they used in the Montgomery deal. Trading for one gave them a way to solve the problem without blowing up the rest of the offseason.
That’s the lane they chose, and it makes sense. Houston landed a proven runner without having to make a bigger financial sacrifice, and the price, while not cheap, looks manageable in the bigger picture.
Montgomery’s recent production won’t blow anyone away. Last season, he posted the lowest rushing-yard total and lowest touch count of his career. But the Lions also used him on just 37% of snaps, and he still found the end zone eight times as a reliable goal-line option.
That’s where the Texans see the fit. His role in Houston should be larger, and his presence should help steady the offense on early downs and near the goal line. He also gives the Texans a strong complement to Woody Marks, who brings the explosive receiving ability that now makes him a better fit as RB2.
So yes, Houston gave up meaningful assets to get Montgomery. But if he helps stabilize the run game, stays healthy, and takes pressure off Marks and C.J. Stroud, this trade could wind up looking like one of the best moves the Texans made all offseason.
In Other News...
Texans Finally Signal A Real Fix For C.J. Strouds Biggest Problem
The Texans spent the offseason treating C.J. Strouds protection as a problem that needed more than a patch job, and the front office responded with one of the clearest line overhauls on the roster. Ed Ingram arrived in a trade with the Vikings and then turned enough heads to land a three-year extension, while Houston also brought in Wyatt Teller and Braden Smith in free agency and used the draft to add Keylan Rutledge, Evan Brown and Febechi Nwaiwu.
Ingram has been encouraged by how quickly the group has started to come together under coach Cole Popovich, saying the line feels like a different unit than the one that showed up in the spring. For a Texans offense built around Stroud, the bigger question now is whether all that movement finally translates into the kind of front that can be trusted to keep him upright and give Houston a real run game behind it. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Quietly Made A Pre-Camp Cut That Could Shift Depth Battle
With training camp approaching, the Texans made a quiet roster adjustment that could ripple through the back end of the depth chart. Cornerback Ajani Carter and defensive end Xavier Thomas were both waived from the reserve/injured list, ending offseason stints that had kept them off the field since earlier in the year and opening up room as the team starts sorting out its 90-man roster.
Carter had appeared in two games for Houston during the 2025 season and was mostly a special teams presence, while Thomas arrived after two seasons with the Cardinals. For a team still building out camp competition, those vacant spots matter now because they can be used for fresh additions or for bringing back familiar names as the Texans keep reshaping the bottom of the roster. [Read more 🡒]