The Three Year Outlook For The Texans Is Bleak

We know the 2021 Houston Texans are going to be horrendous, atrocious, and hellacious. They no longer have a top-five quarterback on a team coming off a four-win season. They didn’t have their first two draft picks. Facing dead cap space and an aging roster without cornerstone players, they signed dozens of players that include only three who are real NFL players. It’s a gap year until things get better.

ESPN recently graded each team by five metrics to put a subjective number masked as an objective analysis of every team’s outlook for the next three years. Houston ranked in the bottom of everything, aside from front office, thanks to the good feelings people have about Nick Caserio for whatever reason they may be. ESPN had the following to say about your football team:

32. Houston Texans

Overall score: 60.6

Why they’re here: Nick Caserio inherited a situation with fewer resources than virtually any other new general manager in recent history, including limited cap space to add impact players in free agency and severely depleted draft capital. The future of Deshaun Watson is unclear amid sexual assault allegations from 22 different women, casting doubt about his standing with the franchise separate and apart from his unhappiness that surfaced prior to the allegations. The roster lacks many blue-chip players, but Caserio is extremely astute and understands the challenge ahead. Patience, Texans fans. — Yates

Biggest worry: David Culley walked into one-of-a-kind dysfunction in Houston, and for a first-time head coach who has waited a long time to get his opportunity, it appears that he has been set up to fail. Culley is a man of impeccable character and leadership skills, so if anyone can fix the culture in Houston, it is him. — Riddick

What could change for the better: The possibilities are endless to rebuild any position, at any time. Caserio is not saddled by clunky long-term deals, with Watson and ILB Zach Cunningham the only players under contract past 2024. And Caserio finalized so many one-year deals this offseason that Houston is scheduled to have $124.8 million in 2023 cap space. — Fowler

Stat to know: The Texans ranked 31st in defensive efficiency in 2020. Then they cut their best player on that side of the ball in J.J. Watt. Then they didn’t draft a defensive player until the fifth round. Opposing offenses are going to feast on Houston. — Walder

Yep, the Texans are bad. Until they trade Deshaun Watson and we see what they get for him, it’s impossible to come up with any sort of timetable for when the Texans will be a good football team again. From stars and scrubs to just scrubs, this is the future the franchise faces right now. Hopefully after this season, they can bump themselves up to, like, 25th.