Welcome to year five of the Rosterology tracker here at Battle Red Blog. What started out as a summer filler article has sprouted into the premier source for who’s in and who’s out of the Houston Texans roster.

This year will feature an unprecedented amount of new faces. Both young and old will be grappling for not only roster spots but starting roles on the team. Three straight years of new coaches washes away the mere thought of hierarchy or loyalty among the players and coaching staff. It’s a fresh start for the majority of the roster.

LAST FOUR IN:

Thomas Booker

Xazavian Valladay

Kendall Sheffield

Case Keenum

FIRST FOUR OUT:

Jacob Martin

Tavierre Thomas

Scott Quessenberry

Kurt Hinish

BIGGEST RISER:

Steven Nelson Jr.

BIGGEST FALLER:

Garret Wallow

ANALYSIS: General Manager Nick Caserio overhauled every single position group, but none more than the interior of the offensive line. Former starters Scott Quessenberry and Jimmy Morrissey are both off the roster. Same goes for last year’s undrafted rookie Kurt Hinish who went from no-name to starter.

Steven Nelson has positioned himself for a big payday as the offseason film warriors identified him as one of the most underrated DBs in the league. Conversely, LB Garret Wallow was witness to an entire new crop of linebackers who leap frog him on the roster.

OFFENSE (25)

QUARTERBACKS (3)

C.J. Stroud, Davis Mills, Case Keenum

ANALYSIS: Houston keeps three QBs on this roster to support Stroud but also provide a backup’s-backup in case Davis Mills demands a trade once he’s benched. Keenum is a pure film room QB who will educate Stroud rather than compete for the job.

RUNNING BACKS (4)

Dameon Pierce, Devin Singletary, Xazavian Valladay, Troy Hairston

ANALYSIS: I wrote last week that the RB room will illustrate the priorities of the new offense and what OC Bobby Slowik desires from his players. I expect undrafted rookie Xazavian Valladay to sneak onto the roster and beat out several veterans while Troy Hairston stays for his second season in Houston.

WIDE RECEIVERS (6)

Noah Brown, Robert Woods, Nico Collins, John Metchie III, Tank Dell, Xavier Hutchinson

ANALYSIS: The most intriguing group in the entire offseason, the wide receivers are almost a completely new crew. This is a room of WR3s. Don’t expect Nico Collins to retain his starting role as new rookies and the addition of Noah Brown will push out the one roster leftover from 2022. All eyes will be on Metchie vs. Dell for the slot role, but imagine both of these athletes on the field together.

TIGHT ENDS (3)

Dalton Shultz, Brevin Jordan, Teagan Quitoriano

ANALYSIS: Something tells me Brevin Jordan is less of a sure fire thing than people think. He’s not one of Caserio’s picks and doesn't fit in with new offensive coach Bobby Slowik’s scheme nor ideal traits for a tight end. Shultz could easily accumulate the most targets this season considering the conundrum at wide receiver. Quitoriano has the make and model to be a fantastic red zone target and will see plenty of playing time in the two tight end sets Slowik plans to run.

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN (9)

Laremy Tunsil, Tytus Howard, Kenyon Green, Juice Scruggs, Jarrett Patterson, Shaq Mason, Michael Dieter, Greg Little, Charlie Heck

ANALYSIS: Nick Caserio spent the majority of the offseason revamping the interior of the offensive line. After Kenyon Green’s catastrophic season, the GM went to work adding versatile rookies and veterans. He moved up into the second round to get Juice Scruggs, which was high above his draft value and must see him as the next starting center. Shaq Mason has also been brought in as one of the most expensive players on the team after his worst season. Then, Caserio doubled down on depth with Patterson and Dieter, players who can play all three interior line positions and are intelligent-first players. Consider all three interior positions up for grabs this training camp.

DEFENSE (25)

DEFENSIVE ENDS (5)

Will Anderson Jr., Jerry Hughes, Jonathan Greenard, Dylan Horton, Chase Winovich

ANALYSIS: Jonathan Greenard hasn’t had the success he’s wanted over the past two seasons. It’s a make-or-break year for the player who has looked good in OTAs thus far. Will Anderson will need to produce immediately to warrant the draft capital expended to bring him to Houston. Dylan Horton will be an interesting change of pace player who either will surprise or need another year to develop.

DEFENSIVE TACKLES (5)

Sheldon Rankins, Roy Lopez, Maliek Collins, Hassan Ridgeway, Thomas Booker

ANALYSIS: Maliek Collins deserved a raise and he received one. Houston added two veterans entering their eight year in Sheldon Rankins and Hassan Ridgeway. Both should immediately supplant Roy Lopez in the middle. The real match up will be Thomas Booker against Kurt Hinish, who beat out Booker even though he went undrafted.

LINEBACKERS (6)

Christian Harris, Denzel Perryman, Christian Kirksey, Cory Littleton, Henry To’oTo’o, Blake Cashman

ANALYSIS: Christian Kirksey being the cornerstone of the Texans defense was a false promise. Don’t be surprised if the team parts ways with the veteran linebacker in placement of tackling demon Perryman and versatile vet Cory Littleton. Then there’s the promising Alabama duo of Harris and To’oTo’o who led Alabama two years ago. There’s a solid five here with Blake Cashman and Neville Hewitt, and Garret Wallow all vying for the last spot.

CORNERBACKS (5)

Steven Nelson, Derek Stingley Jr., Shaq Griffin, Desmond King, Kendall Sheffield

ANALYSIS: This group will most likely see the most change out of the entire roster. There’s no certainty Griffin has anything left in the tank. Houston was able to find mediocre play out of Desmond King and Tavierre Thomas, but it’s yet to be seen who will maintain that quality heading into this new season. With Steven Nelson’s recent antics on Instagram, he may not be long for the organization with his current contract and way he’s slandering the general manager.

SAFETIES (4)

Jimmie Ward, Jalen Pitre, M.J. Stewart, Eric Murray

ANALYSIS: Jimmie Ward may be the most notable signing this offseason, but it’s not the long-term solution Houston should have sought out. Ward follows DeMeco Ryans to Houston and will assume the starting role. If you’re wondering where 7th round pick Brandon Hill is, I have the Texans designating him to the practice squad. While this group lacks the depth and talent, Jalen Pitre’s second season will be among the most pivotal on the entire roster.

SPECIAL TEAMS (3)

Ka’imi Fairbairn, Jon Weeks, Cameron Johnston