11 Questions the Texans Must Answer During Training Camp
Important questions on all sides of the ball
The Houston Texans will open training camp today. Houston Football will be present at every practice, with recaps to follow. They’re scheduled to practice 18 times. Two of those practices will be joint workouts: one in Houston with the Las Vegas Raiders and one in Charlotte with the Carolina Panthers. Add in three preseason games, and the Texans have about 20 solid opportunities to answer the ensuing questions.
Will the offense look better in year two of this system?
The old saying is “the defense is ahead of the offense,” but I can count on my hands the number of times the offense has beaten the defense in the previous two training camps. It hasn’t looked pretty for C.J. Stroud and company. Yes, this is one of the NFL’s best defenses. That’s not an excuse, but a fact. It doesn’t change the desire to see the offense win more than previous years.
It doesn’t have to be knockouts, but leaving practices with the idea the offense has more juice than the previous two years would be nice.
Has the investment in the rushing attack paid off?
The Houston Texans were putrid running the football last year. The overall statistics paint them better than a deeper dive into the numbers. They were inefficient, inconsistent, and incapable of short-yardage success.
Plenty of work was put in to change that. David Montgomery was the running back the Texans decided to pursue, eschewing a chase in free agency for a running back. Montgomery’s veteran presence should push Woody Marks into a more comfortable role. Marks is best suited to pair with another back, not carry the load on his own.
Ed Ingram was brought back. His best skill last season was run blocking. Trent Brown returned and was paired in a battle with Braden Smith at right tackle. Each player can block for the ground game. Wyatt Teller’s addition via free agency was about improving the rushing attack, as was Keylan Rutledge’s selection in the first round of the draft.
The answer to this question might not appear until the regular season, but there should be hints of its success, or failure, in training camp.
What will Tank Dell be capable of achieving?
Tank Dell will not begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list. He will be available for on-field work day one.
Dell was one of the best rookies in football before his injury in 2023. The following season didn’t see the success continue, but as he hit his stride, he suffered a devastating knee injury. It’s been almost 600 days since Dell played football. Nobody, including Dell, knows what he can do on the football field.
It’s time to find out.
Dell’s return to football alone will be an achievement. It’s a decent assumption he doesn’t want just a participation trophy. How much Dell can do will change the makeup of the wide receiver room. If he has semblances of his old self, does he push someone who has an assumed spot off the roster? Does he force the Texans to do roster gymnastics at other positions?
Nobody is rooting against Dell.
