Tag: Kahale Warring

Texans TE Jordan Thomas has much to prove in third season

Houston Texans tight end Jordan Thomas has plenty to prove in his third season if he hopes to remain with the club that drafted him in 2018.

Houston Texans tight end Jordan Thomas had a promising rookie season. The 2018 sixth-round pick from Mississippi State started in 10 of his 16 games played, and seemed to develop into a red zone target as all four of his touchdowns were inside the 20-yard line. The 6-5, 277-pound big target caught 20 passes for 215 yards and developed a chemistry with quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Then, the Texans signed Darren Fells in 2019 free agency.

Then, the Texans picked Kahale Warring in the third round of that April’s draft.

Then, Thomas sustained a rib injury in preseason that landed him on injured reserve as the Texans had to trim down to a 53-man roster by Aug. 31. The Sumrall (Miss.) High School product wouldn’t be eligible to play until Week 9.

When Thomas did return from injured reserve, he logged five games, two of which he started, and caught one 8-yard pass from Watson. All of the gains Thomas had made over his rookie season were lost.

Now, Thomas finds himself in a precarious position as he enters his third NFL season.

Fells developed that same chemistry with Watson in his absence and took it to the next level with 34 catches for 341 yards and seven touchdowns. The Texans liked the cohesion Fells and Watson had in the red zone that they brought Fells back after his one-year deal expired.

Houston has a third-round pick invested in Warring. The coaching staff won’t brush him aside and let a pick from the top-100 of the 2019 draft class go to waste. The same can also be said of Jordan Akins, a third-rounder from 2018, who caught 36 passes for 418 yards and two touchdowns last season.

The odds are against Thomas. He costs the Texans $949,602 against the salary cap, which isn’t much. The same can also be said of the dead money to cut him, which is $29,602, according to Spotrac.

Thomas’ best shot is to take advantage of the reps he is given, whether by beating out some of the other tight ends on the roster or having the fortune to stay healthy when they are ailing. Whatever the case, the former Bulldog has to realize he is the underdog in the tight end room.

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2019 Texans position review: Tight ends

The Houston Texans got nice production out of their tight end group in 2019 with Darren Fells and Jordan Akins leading the way.

The Houston Texans’ season is over. After finishing 10-6, they found themselves in the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs, only to lose a 24-0 lead to the Kansas City Chiefs, who moved on by winning in 51-31 fashion.

In recent years, the Texans have changed their tight end group mightily. In 2018, they took Jordan Akins and Jordan Thomas in the draft. They doubled-down on young tight ends in 2019, by selecting Kahale Warring in the third-round. Before then, Houston signed veteran Darren Fells in a presumed blocking/backup role.

Fells, 33, came aboard as a backup then enjoyed the best season of his career. The 6-7, 270-pound former basketball player became a favorite red-zone target for Deshaun Watson, catching a franchise-record (for tight ends) seven touchdowns. He recorded career highs in receptions (34) and receiving yards (341).

While Fells was a pleasant surprise in 2019, Akins developed into more of a complete tight end in year two. He blocked better, proved to be a dynamic threat after the catch and found himself as the No. 2 tight end in the offense.

Akins recorded 36 receptions for 418 yards and two touchdowns in 16 regular-season games.

As for the rest of the tight end group, Houston did not see much production from their young guns in Thomas and Warring. Both were placed on the injured reserve before the season; Thomas with broken ribs and Warring with concussion/hamstring injuries.

Thomas played five games and was largely a non-factor, hauling in one reception for eight yards. Warring did not play a snap and missed most of training camp.

Heading into 2020, the Texans have Akins, Thomas and Warring under contract. Fells will be a free agent after a career year in Houston. If he falls within the Texans’ price range, expect him back.