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NFL team preview: The Houston Texans are at rock bottom

The Texans might be the biggest dumpster fire in all of sports. In year one of a rebuild, new head coach David Culley is looking to steer the ship in the right direction. Our team preview of the Houston Texans.

Sash

It's been a wild offseason for the Houston Texans. Crazy that this team was competing with the Chiefs in the playoffs two years ago.

This 24 point lead quickly evaporated. Ever since the Texans blew this lead, their franchise has gone down the shitter. The Texans now have the worst roster in the NFL. It's not even close. It's crazy to think that this same franchise had a 24 point lead over the best team in the NFL. That's life in the National Football League. One season, a team can look like they are headed on the right trajectory. The next season, they can look like they don't belong in the same league.

The Texans are trying to tape together a battered roster. They have a long way to go to even have an opportunity to blow a 24 point lead in the playoffs. It's not going to look pretty for Texans fans this season, but it's a necessary step in the right direction. At least there's only one way up from here. There's no way it can get worse, right? Our season preview of the Houston Texans.

DEFENSE

Fantasy football owners are going to be licking their lips whenever they have a player going up against the Texans defense. There's not a whole lot of players on this defense that will get you excited.

Lovie Smith returns to the NFL as the new defensive coordinator. I think Lovie has a chance to be a great defensive coordinator for this team. He's had success in the NFL, leading some of the best defenses the league has ever seen.

The best player on this defense is Zach Cunningham. Cunningham is an underrated inside linebacker and deservedly got paid last season. He will be joined by Christain Kirksey. The linebacker group is definitely the best unit on this defense.

Upfront, they lost their best defensive player in franchise history. After letting JJ Watt walk, they signed Maliek Collins. Collins might not be JJ Watt, but he's a solid veteran replacement for the interior defensive line. I like the pass rush duo of Jordan Jenkins and Whitney Mercilus too. They don't get you out of your seat, but a solid veteran combo. Mercilus hurt his hamstring, so that's something to keep an eye on.

I think their secondary is going to get torched. Desmond King II joins the Texans looking to regain his All-Pro status. It's been a tough few years for King as he's been battling injuries.

OFFENSE

The main story of this offense is obviously Deshaun Watson and his sexual assault lawsuits. He has yet to be suspended or be put on the commissioner exempt list yet. He's still a member of the Texans, though he will probably never play a snap for them again. I would be surprised if he played a snap for any team in the NFL this season.

Let's focus on the players that are going to be on the field. With Watson out, Tyrod Taylor steps in as starting QB. Taylor had a really strange season last year. The team doctor punctured Taylor's lung minutes before kickoff. Justin Herbert stepped in, and the rest is history. Tyrod is a good veteran QB, but he's not going to carry a team to the playoffs. He's a bridge QB to either Davis Mills or whichever QB they select with the first overall pick next season.

The Texans have a stable of mediocre running backs. The quartet of David Johnson, Phillip Lindsay, Mark Ingram, and Rex Burkhead is going to lead the charge for this offense. It's hard to say if any of these guys are ever going to take over the backfield. If I had to rank the guys who are going to get the most touches, my rankings are Lindsay, Johnson, Ingram, and Burkhead. I think Lindsay has the freshest legs and has the best chance to get the most touches.

Brandin Cooks, Chris Conley, and Anthony Miller are going to lead the receivers. With all these running backs on the roster, the Texans are going to be a run-first team. I think Cooks will be the only receiver to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark.

BEST VALUE FANTASY PLAYER

As I mentioned earlier, it's hard to see anyone take over this Texans backfield, but I like Phillip Lindsay. Out of all the has been runningbacks that are on this roster, Lindsay has the freshest legs. If Lindsay can stay healthy, he's probably your best bet to emerge as the lead back.

TOTAL WIN PREDICTION

I think the Texans are going to end up with the first overall pick. They have the worst roster in football. I don't even need to know what the win total is. Just take the under.

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