The Houston Texans have used short-term veteran deals to fill roster holes as general manager Nick Caserio has counted on the draft to bolster the long-term depth.
One area where the Texans actually found an upgrade with one of their short-term signings was Dalton Schultz.
According to John Kosko from Pro Football Focus, Schultz ranks No. 8 on their list of top-15 tight ends and is in the third tier of “good but needs pieces around to be great.”
Schultz’s two-year WAR ranks fifth at the position in addition to the fact that he has earned over 100 targets in back-to-back seasons, and has just one fumble over the same time span. His 16 touchdowns rank fourth, and his 81 receiving first downs are tied for fifth at the position. While he was allowed to leave in free agency from the Dallas Cowboys, it’s hard to argue with the numbers he’s put up.
The Texans have never been so close in recent seasons — not with Jordan Akins, Brevin Jordan, Pharaoh Brown, Darren Fells, Jordan Thomas, or Ryan Griffin. Houston may not have had a top-15 tight end since C.J. Fiedorowicz, whose 2016 campaign is still the last time the Texans had a tight end go over 500 yards receiving.
Admittedly Schultz won’t have a Pro Bowl quarterback throwing to him or have a Pro Bowl receiver out in the pattern along with him. However, Dameon Pierce generated 939 rushing yards through 13 games, and the Texans are doubling up on their commitment to the run with Devin Singletary. Schultz came from an offense that similarly placed an inordinate value on the run game when compared to today’s pass-heavy NFL.
Houston may not have enough pieces to help Schultz flirt with Pro Bowl nods as he did the past two seasons. However, the Texans have a better tight already atop their depth chart.
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