Deshaun Watson is finally gone. Traded to the Cleveland Browns for less then what we all thought it would be, but, alas, the trade is done. So now the question must be asked...now what? As Houston Texans fans we all knew this was coming, but now that it’s happened, what do we talk about now? What do we look for? What can we expect? Well not much but there are some bright spots we can look to.

Davis Mills

All signs point to Davis Mills being given full charge of the offense so expectations are there, but they aren’t very high. Mills in an interesting position where he found success in his rookie year, but nobody is really sure what to think of it. It’s kind of like Gardner Minshew in a sense. Minshew found success in his rookie year with a terrible team, but was replaced because the team was put in a position to draft a more totted prospect in Trevor Lawrence. Mills isn’t being handed a good situation by any means, but in order for him to keep the job past this season, he will have to play good enough to put the Texans in a position where they can’t draft a quarterback. Nobody knows how good next years quarterback class will be, but right now Mills is the guy.

Assets to Play With

For the first time in what feels like forever WE HAVE A FIRST ROUND PICK, and not just one first round pick but, TWO FIRST ROUND PICKS ARE YOU SERIOUS? Dead serious and with this comes a much easier time rebuilding. First round picks are magic beans and not guarantees so don’t think having them means instant success, yet it does give Houston more chances to get it right.

In this upcoming draft the Texans hold pick 3 and pick 13, and barring any trade, that allows you to address big holes in your roster with some serious young talent on a roster that is sorely lacking in young talent. I am still very high on Kyle Hamilton despite some people losing faith in him after his combine, but the Texans could walk away here with a guy like Hamilton, who instantly makes the defense better, with another swing at pick 13. Trading down is the most ideal scenario because it gives you even more draft capital, but that’s just in this draft. Houston still have two firsts in the next two drafts as well, and as a draft nerd myself that’s exciting, and for the actual football team, it’s even more exciting.

Downfall of the AFC South

It’s no secret the AFC south is one of the worst divisions in football. It’s hard to argue when you look at how loaded the AFC is right now, which makes me believe in the future of the Texans. The AFC is stacked, and in order to compete, you need a top quarterback, and no shade to any of the AFC teams, but some of them will miss the playoffs.

The whole AFC West is competing for the playoffs, Buffalo and New England in the AFC East, the whole AFC North is fighting, and in the AFC south the Titans and Colts are fighting, and, compared to the rest, the Titans and Colts look very beatable. The Colts just traded for Matt Ryan, which means their playoff hopes ride on how good he can be for the length of his contract. Tennessee is still good now, but they haven’t been able to get over the hump and all it takes is one bad season. The Texans are building for the future while the rest of the AFC south—minus Jacksonville—is fighting for scraps in the playoffs. When the Titans and Colts are on the down slope the Texans should be on the way up, and if they time it perfectly, they could run the AFC south once again.

There’s not a lot of positives in the Houston Texans community right now, but let’s all try to not go pitch forks and torches to Jack Easterby’s place, and be patient with the team, because we don’t have a choice. Reach deep into your heart and look for the positives. The only thing you can control is your attitude.