Here’s A Team Composed Entirely Of Former Houston Texans Still Active In The NFL

Free agency and the fickle nature of the NFL is part of the allure of the league. One day you are an undrafted rookie free agent, and the next you are Arian Foster scorching defenses. Since the league’s first free agent acquisition in 1962, players are frequently compelled to find new homes and pursue a bigger paycheck. Additionally, teams can cut a player loose for nearly any reason, which allows players to pack up and go.

Now that the Texans have seen some success in recent years, their former players are more coveted around the league. What if we could form a team from the active players who had left the Texans and found a home somewhere else? An offense comprised exclusively of former Texans who are still in the NFL (or likely will be again soon) might look like this:

QB: Case Keenum, Broncos
RB: Akeem Hunt, FA
RB: Andre Ellington, FA
WR: DeVier Posey, Ravens
WR: Dres Anderson, Colts
TE: Eric Thomlinson, Jets
LT: Duane Brown, Seahawks
LG: Xavier Su’a Filo, Titans
C: Ben Jones, Titans
RG: Brandon Brooks, Eagles
RT: Breno Giacomini, Raiders

Sadly, the first thing I notice about this offense is that offensive line listed here is way better than the Texans’ current iteration. The Texans have gotten rid of talented offensive linemen who could still be contributing to this team. Personally, I thought the Texans got rid of Ben Jones too quickly. He may not have been gifted with the quickest feet or longest arms, but he was a tough guy to beat. Now the Texans get the honor of playing him twice a year.

A second thing that stands out is the lack of talent in the the receiving corps of this fake team. Since 2012, Houston has drafted nine wide receivers. The two first round picks, DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller, have been holding the mantle for the past couple years. All of the other developmental prospects, from Keith Mumphery to Alan Bonner, have been relative busts. DeVier Posey stands out as a name that has risen from the ashes to return to a place in the NFL. When Posey was on the Texans, watching him was like swallowing mouthwash; it just stung the whole way down. After Posey won the Grey Cup MVP (Canadian Football League Championship Game), the Ravens have given him his second shot in the league. The other WR on this list, Dres Anderson, is a bottom of the roster prospect who was on the Texans’ roster for last year’s training camp.

Case Keenum rebuilt his career in Minnesota and has parlayed that into a multi-year contract worth good money with the Broncos. Now Keenum will try to turn around a franchise that has been in the dumps since Peyton Manning left. Imagine if the Texans took another one-year flier on the young prospect out of UH, forgoing the Brian Hoyer-Ryan Mallet fiasco, and landed an above average QB in Keenum. We might never have spent the money on [NAME REDACTED]. We would have two first round draft picks back (one spent on selecting Deshaun Watson, one in the trade with the Browns to move up to get DW4) and another second round pick (lost in the trade to Cleveland to get rid of [NAME REDACTED]).

How about a defense that looks like this?

LDE: Eric Lee, Patriots
NT: Earl Mitchell, San Francisco 49ers
RDE: Jared Crick, FA
LOLB: John Simon, Colts
ILB: Brian Cushing, FA
ILB: Brooks Reed, Falcons
ROLB: Connor Barwin, Giants
CB: A.J. Bouye, Jaguars
CB: Marcus Williams, Saints
SS: D.J. Swearinger, Redskins
FS: Eddie Pleasant, Patriots

A.J. Bouye could turn out to be one of the team’s biggest regrets. Not recognizing his upward trajectory into an elite corner is such a huge loss; the Texans could really use his coverage skills this year. My boy D.J. “Two Spoons” Swearinger was cut for a ton of off the field issues, along with a rumored lack of desire to play special teams. He is gelling now as the captain of Washington’s defense. John Simon was an underrated name on this defense that felt like a loss at the time he departed for Indianapolis, but the Texans seem to have moved on relatively easily.