The Texans are now just looking to enter camp in the best position they have ever been in under coach Gary Kubiak. The offense and defense is already familiar to most of the players, and they are no big-time new additions to get acclimated to the system or the city like a year ago when they signed QB Matt Schaub.
UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS
QUARTERBACK: Starter -- Matt Schaub. Backups -- Sage Rosenfels, Shane Boyd, Alex Brink.
Schaub has a big season ahead of him. He must prove that he can stay healthy for a 16-game season and that he is capable of being the long-term answer at quarterback for the Texans. Last season, injuries impeded his progress, and Rosenfels shined during his opportunities -- winning four of his five starts. Rosenfels looks as comfortable in the system as anyone, with a strong arm and confidence in the pocket. Schaub is also confident in the pocket. He sees a pass rush well and holds his ground. He's able to get rid of the ball quickly and on target, but absorbed a lot of hits after his throws last season. If Schaub struggles early, fans will be calling for Rosenfels to show what he can do. Rosenfels has spent his entire career as a backup.
RUNNING BACKS: Starter -- RB Ahman Green, FB Vonta Leach. Backups -- RB Chris Brown, RB Chris Taylor, RB Steve Slaton, RB Darius Walker, FB Jameel Cook.
The Texans have a plethora of running backs, but injuries could whittle down the competition. Green, Brown and Taylor all battled injuries last year with Green and Taylor landing on injured reserve. Steve Slaton is a rookie the Texans hope to use as a situational back. If he can remain healthy, Green will be their go-to back, but they will spell him with Brown. They want to keep both veteran running backs fresh and healthy. Green sees the field well, and thrives in the zone-blocking scheme. Brown adds a taller back, who will give defenses a different look each time he enters the game. He also joins the Texans with experience as a starter, giving them confidence in him if Green goes down. Taylor is a bruising back with good speed, who is coming off a season-long knee injury. The Texans like how he fits into the system. He's also got upside because he's young and has little wear and tear on his body. Slaton adds big-time speed the Texans typically lack at this position. He must show he can hold onto the ball and be a receiving threat in third-down situations.
TIGHT ENDS: Starter -- Owen Daniels. Backups -- Mark Bruener, Joel Dreessen.
The Texans like to use their tight ends as receiving options. Daniels was the team's second-leading receiver last season with 63 catches. He struggled with holding onto the ball midway through the year, but seemed to correct those issues prior to the final month. Daniels still needs to work to improve his blocking, but is a tight end capable of being a blocking and receiving threat. Bruener returns as the team's veteran blocking tight end. He is rarely used in the passing game, but is one of the league's best blocking tight ends. Dreessen came into his own last season, emerging as a solid receiving threat. He has good height and good hands. He caught four passes -- two of which were for touchdowns.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters -- Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter. Backups -- Andre' Davis, Jacoby Jones, David Anderson.
Johnson is a Pro Bowl receiver coming off a knee injury that knocked him out of seven starts last year. It also caused him to have arthroscopic surgery midway through the offseason. Johnson's recovery is said to be going smoothly, and he isn't expected to miss any time in training camp because of it. Johnson is key to the success of the offense. Despite missing seven starts last season, he still led all of the receivers with a team-high eight touchdowns. Walter and Davis are coming off career-years of their own. Walter will retain his starting job, but Davis will see his opportunities increase this season. Davis proved to be a big-play threat each time he caught a pass. He remained among the league leaders all season, averaging 17.7 yards per catch. The Texans are looking for Jones to make a big jump from year one to year two. He never became overly involved in the offense, nor did he ever look completely comfortable in it last season. The Texans hope he can be a speedy option to throw to down field this year.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Starters -- LT Duane Brown, LG Chester Pitts, C Chris Myers, RG Mike Brisiel, RT Eric Winston. Backups -- LT Ephraim Salaam, G/T Scott Jackson, C/G Chris White, G Kasey Studdard, T Rashad Butler, G Fred Weary, G/T Charles Spencer.
The Texans have high hopes for an offensive line that is studying under the tutelage of Alex Gibbs. He is implementing the zone-blocking scheme and there are surely to be more cut blocks used this season than in the past. Much of the focus will be on Brown, the first-round pick the Texans are grooming to take over for Salaam. They are hoping he's their long-term solution to a position that has given them problems since the inception of the franchise. Pitts remains their reliable and durable right guard, while Myers arrives as the team's new center. He is already well-versed on the zone-blocking scheme after playing in it in Denver. Brisiel started last season on the practice squad but is playing like a starter this offseason. The job at right guard is his until Fred Weary proves he is back to his old form after his injury last season. Winston has emerged as a solid right tackle. He plays well in running and passing situations. The Texans are expecting major strides from an offensive line that has reduced its number of sacks allowed each of the last few seasons.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Starters -- LE Anthony Weaver, T Travis Johnson, T Amobi Okoye, RE Mario Williams. Backups -- E Rosevelt Colvin, T Jeff Zgonina, T Frank Okam, T Anthony Maddox, E N.D. Kalu, E Tim Bulman.
This is where much of the success of the team could be determined. The Texans must get major production from their pass-rushing linemen to help offset what will be a weaker secondary with Dunta Robinson on PUP. Williams is coming off a monster season in which he had 14 sacks. The Texans have more pass rushing help for him this season with Okoye returning for his second season and the addition of free agent Colvin, who could be their biggest pickup of the offseason if he remains healthy. Weaver remains a strong presence against the run and will remain the starter at left end, while there are questions surrounding the health of Johnson, who missed the entire offseason with inflammation in his groin area. He is expected to start this season, but the team is working to groom Okam, a bruising tackle, who provides a big body in the middle that the Texans typically lack. He played well in OTAs and is expected to vie for playing time in the line's eight-man rotation.
LINEBACKERS: Starters -- SLB Zac Diles, MLB DeMeco Ryans, WLB Morlon Greenwood. Backups -- Xavier Adibi, Chaun Thompson, Kevin Bentley.
The Texans don't have a deep group of linebackers heading into the season, but they are confident they have upgraded the talent. Their focus was to get faster and more athletic. With Adibi, Thompson and Bentley, that should be the case. Adibi has tremendous speed and will back up Greenwood at WLB. Bentley is well-versed on all three positions, and will likely play behind Diles even though Bentley will enter training camp fighting for that starting job. Thompson is working in the middle behind the leader of the defense -- Ryans. Thompson adds versatility to the unit. He has pass rush ability and can play with his hand down as a lineman. Ryans is the anchor of the entire defense. He will wear the defensive play-calling transmitter in his helmet, and he will be hard to slow down. He plays through injuries and has a knack for getting to wherever the ball is. He makes sure everyone is in the right spot and he's emerged as a strong motivator. Diles is young and inexperienced, but his quickness and knowledge have earned him the starting job. Greenwood has steadily improved and is very comfortable in the defense. He provides a reliable presence and he has good chemistry with Ryans. The two study offenses constantly and are well-versed each Sunday when they step on the field.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters -- LCB Fred Bennett, RCB Jacques Reeves, FS Will Demps, SS C.C. Brown. Backups -- CB Jamar Fletcher, CB Antwaun Molden, CB Demarcus Faggins, S Nick Ferguson, S Dominique Barber, S Glenn Earl, S Brandon Mitchell, S Brandon Harrison, CB Dunta Robinson.
This unit will be the most competitive in training camp and also be one of the biggest concerns. With Robinson likely on PUP for at least half the season with a knee/hamstring injury, the Texans are without their secondary's biggest playmaker and leader. It will take all four starters to make up for his absence. Demps returns to the starting lineup, along with Brown at safety. They put up solid performances at the end of last season, but it's no secret they must get assistance from the defensive line if they are going to have consistent success this season. Bennett and Reeves will lead at cornerback. Bennett is a bigger cornerback with good hands and playmaking ability. But he must prove he can stay healthy and play through injuries. Molden, a third-round rookie, is ahead of where Bennett was last offseason. He could find his way into the starting lineup and rotation much earlier than anticipated, especially if Bennett gets hurt or Reeves struggles. Reeves battled inconsistency and was often beat deep as a Cowboy. The Texans hope their defense suits his style of play better. Earl returns from a Lisfranc fracture and will try to push Demps and Brown for playing time. He was playing at his peak when he got hurt last year in training camp, and the coaches will watch closely to see how well he plays as he returns.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Starters -- K Kris Brown, P Matt Turk, KR Andre' Davis, PR Jacoby Jones, LS Bryan Pittman.
The Texans have always had a solid special teams unit led by coordinator Joe Marciano. Brown remains the only kicker the team has ever known. He put together one of his best seasons last year, when he became only the third kicker in NFL history to connect on three kicks of at least 50 yards in a single game. Turk signed a two-year deal in the offseason to return as a punter. He struggled at times in the middle of the year last season, but overall was solid. He could be counted on to pin the ball inside the 20-yard line. Davis was the surprise of last season, returning three kickoffs for touchdowns, including two in the season finale. The Texans will look for him to be their go-to returner all season. Jones will return punts, and must prove he can play fearlessly. He struggled after injuring his shoulder early last season. He played more hesitantly. The Texans love his speed and his energy, but they need him to use it smartly on the field. Pittman is one of the most reliable long snappers in the game. He missed the first snap of his career last season.
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