Writing about the roster right now feels like projecting where Lewis and Clark were going when they were still in Iowa. We are still very much in the ingredients procurement stage of this meal but we're getting there.
Is that too much metaphorical usage for you in the early going of this piece?
Let's try this - You know those new ramps they're building at the West Loop and 59 interchange and you had no idea what they were doing? Well, now it's making more sense, right?
Unlike road construction you can't just look up Nick Caserio's plan on a TxDOT website. We certainly don't have it all laid out here. Believe me, I've looked!
The Lewis and Clark analogy is pretty good. The Texans want to build a winning team but the route is going to be filled with rocky terrain and unexpected challenges. You're not always going to land all the free agents you want. Or certain players you covet in the draft could get snatched up before you get a shot at them.
But you keep going. Caserio has already made dozens of transactions and the team has been reshaped. Players like Shaq Lawson, Marcus Cannon, Mark Ingram and Tyrod Taylor, to name a few, will walk through the door and the locker room will feel different and be different.
With Lovie Smith at the helm of the defense, it'll have his signature on the work. He brought the Bears to a Super Bowl and an NFC Championship game. Tim Kelly is still the offensive coordinator and he has plenty of new help under head coach David Culley, an offensive mentor who's only been a part of one losing season in the last ten years (more on Culley in a future piece. I'm not sure people truly understand the depth of knowledge and experience he brings to the table).
Kelly will have Passing Game Coordinator and QB Coach Pep Hamilton, who 'OC'd' the Colts to the AFC Championship game in '14 (we'll forgive him for that!), to add to the mix. With all the new weapons they have to work with, this will be interesting.
We're not close to being done. It's like going to one of those pizza places and you see your pie in the fire brick oven. "Is it ready yet?"
Okay, I'll stop with the metaphors and analogies (no, never).
The Houston Texans roster in photos.
DL Mario Addison, #56 (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
QB, Kyle Allen, #3
RB, Darius Anderson, #30
DB, Grayland Arnold, #35
TE, Antony Auclair, #83
DL, Ross Blacklock, #90
DL, Thomas Booker, #96
OL, Justin Britt, #68
DB, Terrence Brooks, #8
TE, Pharaoh Brown, #85
RB, Rex Burkhead, #28
WR, Jalen Camp, #17
OL, A.J. Cann, #60
LB, Blake Cashman, #53
DL, Maliek Collins, #97
WR, Nico Collins, #12
WR, Chris Conley, #18
WR, Brandin Cooks, #13
TE, Darrell Daniels, #47 (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
WR, Davion Davis, #14
LB, Tae Davis, #19
OL, Austin Deculus, #76
WR, Phillip Dorsett, #4
QB, Jeff Driskel, #6
DL, Michael Dwumfour, #98
WR, Drew Estrada, #81
K, Ka'imi Fairbairn, #7
DB, Jacobi Francis, #38
RB, Royce Freeman, #26
OL, Carson Green, #62
DL, Jonathan Greenard, #52
WR, DaeSean Hamilton, #5
OL, Kenyon Green, #59
DL, Rasheem Green (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
LB, Kamu Grugier-Hill, #51
LB, Christian Harris, #48
DL, Demone Harris, #94
WR, Damon Hazelton, #86
OL, Charlie Heck, #67
LB, Neville Hewitt, #43
QB, Kevin Hogan, #16 (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
OL, Tytus Howard, #71
DL, Jerry Hughes, #55 (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
FB, Andy Janovich, #41
An image from the Aug. 21, 2021 Houston Texans preseason game 2 against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. The Texans won 20-14.
WR, Johnny Johnson III, #89
P, Cameron Johnston, #11
TE, Brevin Jordan, #9
DB, Desmond King II, #25
LB, Christian Kirksey, #58
DL, Roy Lopez, #91
RB, Marlon Mack, #2
DB, Tristin McCollum, #39
OL, Justin McCray, #64
WR, John Metchie III, #88
QB, Davis Mills, #10
WR, Chris Moore, #15
OL, Jimmy Morrissey, #79
DB, Eric Murray, #23
DB, Steven Nelson (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
DB, Steven Nelson, #21
DL, Adedayo Odeleye, #75
OL, Cedric Ogbuehi, #77
RB, Dare Ogunbowale, #33
DL, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, #45
DB, Jonathan Owens, #36
RB, Dameon Pierce, #31
LB, Kevin Pierre-Louis, #57
DB, Jalen Pitre, #42
FB, Paul Quessenberry, #45
OL, Scott Quessenberry, #54
TE, Teagan Quitoriano, #84
LB, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, #34 (AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)
DL, Derek Rivers, #95
OL, Max Scharping, #74
DB, Kendall Sheffield (AP Photo/Kevin Sabitus)
DB, Tremon Smith, #24
OL, Jordan Steckler, #70
DB, M.J. Stewart, #29
DB, Derek Stingley Jr., #24
DB, Tavierre Thomas, #37
OL, Laremy Tunsil, #78
LB, Garret Wallow, #32
WR, Connor Wedington (AP)
LS, Jon Weeks #46
DB, Isaac Yiadom, #20
