Tag: devin singletary

Can the Houston Texans sustain two fantasy football RBs?

Will they be able to support both Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary?

In 2021, the Houston Texans had the worst running attack in the league, rushing for an NFL-low 83.6 yards per game and a woeful 3.4 yards per carry. Although they were only marginally better last year, increasing those numbers to 86.6 yards per game (31st) and 3.7 yards per carry (31st), at least they won’t be starting from scratch again as running back Dameon Pierce proved to be a nice find as a fourth-round selection in the 2022 draft.

Clearly, more help was needed, however, and for that the Texans dipped into the free-agent waters and came away with former Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary, who signed a one-year deal in March. Plus, in a lower profile move, RB Mike Boone, most recently of the Denver Broncos, inked a two-year contract. That affords the running back room more depth than it’s had in years.

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The hirings of head coach DeMeco Ryans and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, both of whom worked under head coach Kyle Shanahan with the San Francisco 49ers, certainly means a stronger commitment to the run is on the way. With that in mind, here’s an early look at Houston’s backfield contingent.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans values RB Devin Singletary’s attention to detail

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans appreciates the level of attention to detail that running back Devin Singletary is providing.

For all the faults of the Houston Texans’ roster in 2022, the team had a solid foundation with their stable of running backs in the offensive backfield.

Dameon Pierce led the way last season as one of the NFL’s most explosive runners, and with the addition of Buffalo Bills mainstay Devin Singletary earlier in the offseason, the Texans seem poised to be a gritty rush-first team with their rookie quarterback at the helm of the offense.

Coach DeMeco Ryans was asked about his duo of talented rushers after mandatory minicamp June 14, and told reporters about his confidence at the running back position heading into the 2023 season.

“Devin has done a good job,” Ryans said. “Devin has put himself in a really good spot — love the attention to detail, how he prepares each and every day, so I’m excited where Devin [is]. We’ll see how that looks with Dameon and Devin, Mike [Boone] – all those guys in our backfield. The way we have a lot of capable guys, and again, we’ll see how that looks come training camp.”

Rookie quarterbacks are known for needing help in their first year as they acclimate to life in the NFL, so the Texans’ hefty investments in their backfield should pay dividends in the early part of their schedule.

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Texans RB Dameon Pierce says he is ‘always talking ball’ with Devin Singletary

Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce says that he is constantly talking about the game when he interacts with new teammate Devin Singletary.

The Houston Texans have a dominant running back in Dameon Pierce. Nevertheless the organization signed former Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary in free agency in March.

Pierce, a 2022 fourth-round pick, doesn’t see Singletary as a threat. Rather, he views him as a resource.

“Every time we talk, we’re always talking ball,” Pierce told reporters after organized team activities June 6. “I’m always asking — because he’s a shiftier kind of guy, more of a in-space type of player — I’m not asking him what he’s doing, I’m asking, ‘What are you thinking when you’re doing it?’”

Singletary generated 3,151 yards and 16 touchdowns on 672 carries along with 145 receptions for 971 yards and four touchdowns through 61 games for the Bills. What Pierce has noticed from his conversations with Singletary is his deliberate approach to the game.

Said Pierce: “He’s a very intentional player. The more I get to pick his brain, the more I get into his mindset of how he sees the game, how he sees the play develop. It’s really simple. Sometimes it’s as simple as, ‘Hey, man. He’s dropping, bro. What I’m thinking is, I’m sitting right here.’ Just simple stuff like that.”

The potential is evident with Pierce, who had 939 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns on 220 carries through 13 games as a rookie. With a new offense directed by coordinator Bobby Slowik placing an emphasis on the run game, both backs will have their opportunities to showcase their complementary styles.

“He’s been a great help, a great mentor so far during OTAs, and I look forward to keep picking his brain,” Pierce said.

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WATCH: Dameon Pierce, Devin Singletary lead Texans’ RB drills at OTAs

Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary were the first two leading the running back drills at Houston Texans OTAs on May 31.

Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary were among the first two running backs to lead the drills at Houston Texans organized team activities on May 31.

According to video from Texans TV’s Deepi Sidhu, Pierce and Singletary took snaps as running backs coach Danny Barrett facilitated the drill.

Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud told reporters on May 23 that the Texans were fortunate to have a back like Pierce on the roster.

“Just being around him a little, getting to know him every other day, he’s hilarious,” said Stroud. “He’s always very upbeat, very positive and wants to work and wants to get better. I accept a lot of feedback from him. He likes feedback from me. We’ve just been enjoying working with each other, so it’s been a blessing to have someone like D.P.”

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Get to know Devin Singletary: Another ‘Motor’ to the Texans’ offense

Find out more about the “Motor” the Houston Texans added to their backfield with Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary.

Devin Singletary earned the nickname “Motor” with the Buffalo Bills, and the running back could provide the same drive for the Houston Texans’ offense.

There is no doubt the Texans found success on the ground last year with rookie Dameon Pierce, who earned the “Angriest Run of the Year” for his efforts. However, there wasn’t hardly any depth behind Pierce, and it showed in the four final games the fourth-rounder was on injured reserve.

Enter Singletary, who is a conscious attempt to upgrade the running back stable.

Nick Wojton from the Bills Wire stopped by to provide a feel for Singletary’s game. Here is what the former 2019 third-round pick could bring to the Texans’ backfield.

DeMeco Ryans looks forward to Texans’ new one-two punch in the backfield

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans is enthused to see the new backfield tandem of Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary.

When the Houston Texans drafted Dameon Pierce in Round 4 of the 2022 NFL draft, the sense was the former Florida Gator would eventually take over as the lead running back in offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton’s scheme.

It didn’t take long; Pierce seized the reins as the starter in preseason and started all 13 games he was available for Houston last year. Pierce generated 939 rushing yards and four such touchdowns along with a miscellaneous “Angriest Run of the Year” at the NFL Honors.

The Texans’ running back stable behind Pierce consisted of Rex Burkhead, Dare Ogunbowale, and Royce Freeman. Houston upgraded the depth in free agency by signing former Buffalo Bills runner Devin Singletary.

Coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix that he was enthused to have Pierce and Singletary in the same backfield.

“Excited to have both those guys,” said Ryans. “Dameon has shown a lot from his rookie season. He’s shown that he’s a really good player, and being able to add Devin there with him to have sort of that one-two punch to have those guys balance each other out, I think it’ll be really great addition for us.”

Singletary generated 4.7yards per carry along with 3,151 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. As a pass-catcher, the former 2019 third-round pick hauled in 145 passes for 971 yards and four touchdowns.

Said Ryans: “Excited for what Devin can bring. He’s hungry to show that he can do more, so excited to have him in Houston.”

Despite Pierce’s best efforts, as his rushing yards were the third-best among rookies last year, the Texans were atrocious running the football. Houston could only get 3.7 yards per carry, the second-lowest in the league, and generate 86.8 rushing yards per game, also the second-lowest in the NFL. With a one-two punch of Pierce and Singletary, along with better blocking up front thanks to the return of left tackle Laremy Tunsil and the acquisition of right guard Shaq Mason, Houston’s rushing production could regress towards the mean.

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Texans considered ‘most improved’ team in free agency

The Houston Texans are considered to be the “most improved” team in free agency after the first wave.

The Houston Texans made a flurry of moves in free agency as general manager Nick Caserio seeks to cap off the rebuild.

With the Texans making their way through the first wave of free agency, all that remains to be filled on the roster is quarterback, receiver, edge defender, and arguably center.

According to Will Brinson from CBS Sports, the Texans are the “most improved” team to come out of free agency.

Surprise. When we talk about “biggest improvement” we need to remember this isn’t “who got the best players” it’s “who improved the most.” And I think you can squint at the Texans — particularly with their No. 2 overall pick and a QB likely coming — and see a team capable of winning 8+ games if everything breaks right. Adding Noah Brown, Dalton Schultz and Robert Woods (elite blocker, by the way) in the pass game, bringing back Laremy Tunsil and scooping the underrated Devin Singletary to pair with Dameon Pierce … this offense is interesting if they hit on the QB or Davis Mills surprises (don’t write him off yet). Defensively they piled up veterans and if you believe in DeMeco Ryans, it’s reasonable to think this team is a sneaky division contender. 

Caserio told “Payne & Pendergast” on Sports Radio 610 [KILT-AM] on March 20 that the Texans will continue to evaluate players.

“We’ll continue to evaluate players throughout the course of the league, and if there is an opportunity out there that makes sense, then we’ll certainly consider it, which is what we have done here kind of on a yearly basis,” Caserio said.

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Full list of 2022 Bills players who have signed with new teams

Here’s a rundown of who the #Bills have lost in free agency thus far:

As it goes each and every offseason, the Buffalo Bills can’t keep all their free agents even if they wanted to.

Here’s the full list of pending free agents the Bills had after the 2022 season that have gone on to sign contracts with new teams:

Damien Harris: ‘Can finally say it now, but I love Bills Mafia’

Damien Harris: ‘Can finally say it now, but I love #BillsMafia’

What the Buffalo Bills organization has done since head coach Sean McDermott, GM Brandon Beane, and QB Josh Allen joined the franchise is attracting NFL players in free agency.

Including former division rivals.

Beane inked two players from AFC rival squads to its offense in a strategic chess move, adding WR Trent Sherfield from the Miami Dolphins and Damien Harris from the New England Patriots on one-year deals. 

Sherfield comes not only as a receiving and special teams threat with blocking ability but also with a knowledge of Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel’s playbook both as an offensive assistant and head coach. Harris, who was among the running backs that beat former Bills ILB Tremaine Edmunds for 100+ yardage on several occasions over recent seasons, brings the size and punch that Buffalo’s been missing in its running backs group.

He’ll join projected RB1 James Cook and fellow back and return man Hyheim Hines in the Bills backfield group.

“I’m excited to be here,” said Harris during his introductory press conference earlier this week. “There’s a lot of reasons why I chose here, this is a great organization, from top to bottom, from ownership to the management to the coaching the players, the entire staff, I feel like the transition into a great organization, it’s just obviously so appealing. The trajectory of this organization, kind of the momentum that this team is building, it’s all appealing. And it’s all something that I wanted to be a part of and something that I felt like I could come in and help with.”

“I can finally say it now, but I love Bills Mafia,” Harris added.

In a league where hybrid mobile backs that can catch-and-run are assuming RB1 roles like the Bills James Cook, there is still an important need for a big back who can gain meaningful yardage or punch through at the goal line.

And the Bills have just that and more in Harris.

“I always said that playing against the Bills, I felt like brought out the best in me as a competitor and as a player,” Harris said about Buffalo. “And from the outside looking in as an opponent if I felt that way then I knew that if I was able to join this organization, I feel like I could just take it to a new height.”

The RB recorded more than 100 rushing yards in three of his four regular-season appearances against Buffalo over the past couple of NFL seasons.

“When I saw the Buffalo Bills on the schedule, I knew I had to be at my best in order to have success against a team like this, so now that I’m here I feel no different. I feel like I have to be at my best to help this organization continue to move forward,” Harris added.

The 26-year-old has a chance to fill the big back role on a team that is looking for a long-term solution in terms of size at his position group. Brandon Beane forecasted the move last week, saying “we’ll probably add somebody that’s a little heavier than that at some point between now and training camp.”

The Bills previously developed third-round NFL Draft selection Zack Moss for that position before swapping him with the Colts for RB Nyheim Hines.

Harris’s one-year pact could be his chance to prove himself before next year’s draft class in his position group, as well as a free agency class potentially headlined by Derrick Henry.

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Texans earn a B-grade from CBS Sports for offseason moves

The Houston Texans earn a B-grade from CBS Sports for their offseason moves to this point.

The Houston Texans have had an active offseason.

Naturally, as has been the case for every offseason in the general manager Nick Caserio era, the Texans inaugurated the behind-the-curtain portion of the NFL life with hiring a coach. However, the Texans have been garnering better veteran free agents than they have in the past two free agency cycles.

According to Cody Benjamin from CBS Sports, the Texans were listed as No. 12 in terms of having one of the best offseasons in the league. Houston didn’t earn a top grade, but a B-grade after the first wave of free agency is nonetheless favorable.

The strategy from GM Nick Caserio hasn’t been wholly different from recent years: Lots of rental deals for mid-tier veteran castoffs. This year’s crop for new coach DeMeco Ryans at least has some potential hidden gems to supplement an inevitable first-round QB: Case Keenum is a charismatic No. 2 under center, RB Devin Singletary makes for nice Dameon Pierce relief, ex-Cowboys WR Noah Brown and TE Dalton Schultz at least have the skills to keep growing and Ryans’ 49ers pupil Jimmie Ward should be a culture-builder as a utility man in the secondary.

What Benjamin did not mention among his evaluation was the Laremy Tunsil extension. With the Texans giving the three-time Pro Bowler a three-year, $75 million extension, it ensures the Texans will have a dominant offensive line with right tackle Tytus Howard, right guard Shaq Mason, and left guard Kenyon Green in 2023.

Caserio told “Payne & Pendergast” on Sports Radio 610 [KILT-AM] on March 20 that what helped get the Tunsil deal finished was communication.

“The communication throughout with him was very good, and then we arrived at an endpoint everybody felt comfortable with,” said Caserio. “So, excited to have Laremy here for the foreseeable future. Laremy is a good player and probably at one of the more important positions in the league. So, I think everybody is happy with the result and where we ended up.”

If the Texans can nail the 2023 NFL draft, Clutch City sports fans will undoubtedly be happy with the results until training camp.

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