If the Houston Texans want to buck the trend of the Bill O’Brien era and get younger at running back rather than relying on a seasoned veteran, then former Utah Utes running back Zack Moss could be an option.
Doug Farrar from the Touchdown Wire went to Los Angeles to catch up with Moss, who has been training for the NFL Scouting Combine and to make the transition from the college game to pro football.
Moss could have left the Utes after the 2018 season, but the aggravation of a knee injury that cost him four games, and Utah’s inability to get past Northwestern in the Holiday Bowl, put Moss on a track of “unfinished business” that saw him return and set career highs in rushing attempts (235), rushing yards (1,416), rushing touchdowns (15), receiving yards (388), and receiving touchdowns. Overall, Moss’s statistics and tape tell the story of a player who’s more than just a bull rolling through the proverbial china shop. With three 1,000-yard seasons, 5.7 yards per carry, and 66 catches for 685 yards and three receiving touchdowns, Moss could be a legitimate three-down back in the right system.
Currently, the Texans have their top two running backs since 2016 in Lamar Miller and Carlos Hyde set to be free agents on March 18. If the Texans part ways with both of them, they will have a need at running back. Moss would be a rookie option, and O’Brien has shown the predilection to rely more on veteran talent than turn the keys to any position over to a rookie.
What might be a more reasonable scenario is one where the Texans sign either Hyde or Miller and take Moss in the middle of the draft. However, the Texans have other holes to fill than just running back, and obtaining one in the draft may not be part of their offseason plan.
If the Texans wanted a goal-line or short-yardage back to fill the role vacated by Alfred Blue, then Moss would be a good starter kit.
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