There's been a lot of talk about the Texans receiving corps this offseason. That's understandable, with the changes in the wide receiver position group.
But the pass catching goes well beyond that, with what the backs and tight ends bring to the table. There are more weapons than ever for Deshaun Watson to utilize.
The tight ends caught over 70 balls in '19, the second highest number for the group in the O'Brien area behind the franchise record year of 2015 (115 receptions). In '15, the rest of the offense didn't have the same kind of production.
Last season, Darren Fells and Jordan Akins caught 36 and 34 passes, respectively. Add in what you might get out of 2019 3rd round choice Kahale Warring and Jordan Thomas, who had 4 TDs as a rookie in '18, and things start to get very intriguing.
Under O'Brien, the high water mark in receptions for a back goes to Duke Johnson, who caught 44 passes last year. Carlos Hyde had 10.
Arian Foster is second with 38 grabs in 2014 and Lamar Miller caught 36 balls in 2017.
As a group, the 2015 and 2016 seasons put the backs in the high 60s in receptions.
This season, with David Johnson and Duke Johnson, there's a good chance for outstanding production. Volume is, of course, not the most important thing. But David Johnson had 36 catches last year in Arizona and has a stellar reputation as a receiver.
So as we look at a revamped wide out crew combined with what the backs and tight ends are capable of, you get the picture that this is the deepest array of pass catching threats the Texans have had in a long time, maybe ever. We're all waiting for when this passing game can take a test drive. This is going to be fun to watch.
