The Houston Texans finished 4-13 to conclude the 2021 season, and are still in the middle of a massive rebuild.
According to Anthony Treash from Pro Football Focus, the Texans need to use all of their resources in the 2022 offseason to upgrade every position on the roster.
Let’s not sugarcoat it — this roster is not in good shape. Everyone in Houston, and the organization itself, would likely agree. The Texans generated 1.7 WAR in 2021. Not only is that the lowest of the 32 teams, but it’s lower than half the starting quarterbacks in the NFL alone. Davis Mills exceeded expectations in a couple of games during his rookie campaign, but the third-round pick still performed poorly with a 58.3 PFF grade. Any thought of him being the long-term solution at signal-caller is premature.
There are a lot of things about Mills’ rookie season that are horrendous in the aggregate. He posted a 2-9 record as a starter. However, much like his 58.3 passer rating, it is the result of his first six starts, wherein he went 0-6 as a starter. Much of Mills’ work that contributed to his poor PFF grade happened within those starts, not over the last five weeks of the season when was reinserted into the lineup and went 2-3.
Is every roster really wide open on the Texans’ roster? Brandin Cooks is under contract through the 2024 season, albeit his contract has some flexibility. With Cooks recording his second straight 1,000-yard receiving season, do the Texans need to find a number one wideout in 2022?
Laremy Tunsil should finally be over his thumb injury by Week 1. Do the Texans really need to upgrade their tackles with Tunsil and Tytus Howard?
Meanwhile the Jacksonville Jaguars, who finished as the worst team in the NFL, just needs to upgrade at quarterback and running back.
Houston is in the middle of a rebuild, but they aren’t as far away as some think.