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It seems that if we hear about a list of NFL teams, featuring analysis of the present and future, we should just expect the Texans to hover near the bottom. That expectation is a wise one at this juncture.
The fine folks over at Pro Football Focus put together a solid piece analyzing the next three years’ worth of salary cap and draft capital health for all 32 teams. It shouldn’t shock anyone, but your Houston Texans are at the bottom of the bowl, swirling the drain for the foreseeable future.
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Quick recap:
Your Houston Texans rank...
- 30th overall.
- 30th in active draft capital.
- 24th in effective cap space.
- 11th in pro-rated salary hits.
- 23rd in Top 51 Veteran Valuation.
- 30th in UFA Valuation.
HOUSTON TEXANS – RANK: 30
The Texans skewed their ranking a bit here by signing 39 free agents this offseason — only one other team eclipsed 25, with 27 — with the lion’s share of those deals being for one year. As a result, they rank third in the 2022 free agent valuation column, but in reality, that’s a quantity-over-quality issue. They won’t need to replace many of these players.
With that said, Houston did spend the most cash in the NFL in 2020, and they prorated a good chunk. The lack of first-round picks the last two years on account of the trade for Laremy Tunsil doesn’t do them any favors either, which is why they rank 30th in active draft capital.
Where does this put the Texans in the AFC South, since they’re clearly in the league basement?
- Jacksonville Jaguars rank 2nd
- Indianapolis Colts rank 3rd
- Tennessee Titans rank 23rd
All that doesn’t matter, since Houston has competition, all the linebackers and nothing but questions in the post Bill O’Brien era. Trust the process.