By Nathan Moser
For the last few years, the top of the AFC remains intact. The Kansas City Chiefs are of course at the top of the list, with superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, and the rest of the team winning three Super Bowls in recent seasons. Then, there are the Buffalo Bills who have their own star quarterback in Josh Allen but have not been able to handle business when it comes to postseason matchups against Kansas City. Maybe that will change, maybe it will not. The Baltimore Ravens were lethal during the 2023 NFL season, with two-time MVP Lamar Jackson leading the way. Then, no one can count out the Cincinnati Bengals with Joe Burrow at the reins. Sure, they lost Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins wants to be traded, but as long as they have Burrow there, they will find other replacements at wide receiver, either in the draft or free agency.
The team that became a significant threat for all of the teams mentioned as well as the rest of the AFC is the Houston Texans. What the organization has been able to piece together lately is something that could haunt the league for seasons to come. It started when they got their own quarterback. During the 2023 NFL Draft, the expectation was that the Carolina Panthers would select quarterback Bryce Young, which they did. The expectation was that they were getting the better quarterback. That decision they made has aged like milk so far. Young could still be the face that runs the place for the Panthers starting his sophomore season, but things look dramatically worse when stacking Young’s rookie season up against what CJ Stroud did for the Texans. Both were rookies, but the Panthers had a horrendous 2023 season. Houston, meanwhile, made the playoffs. Not to mention, Stroud at the helm showed flashes of how scary he can potentially be for opponents.
A great quarterback looks even better when having solid receivers who know how to catch the football and the Texans have ample supply of that. They looked terrific when Nico Collins and Tank Dell were catching the ball. Both of these players are under 26 years old. Now, after making the trade with the Bills for veteran Stefon Diggs, they look even deadlier. On top of that, Collins and Dell now have a mentor in Diggs who has shined in big moments, such as the Minneapolis Miracle as well as a few playoff runs with Buffalo.
The Texans made more than one significant trade this offseason. Mentioning the Bengals before, another weapon that Burrow lost besides Boyd is running back Joe Mixon. He was dealt to Houston, giving Stroud another weapon he can go to with the ball. Texans general manager Nick Caserio is only making things harder for opposing defenses. Stroud can throw to Dell, Collins, or Diggs; or he could have Mixon run the ball as well. Mixon joins a Houston running back room that also has Dameon Pierce too. It has just gotten better and better for that fanbase.
The Texans were active in free agency too. They inked a deal with defensive end Danielle Hunter who previously suited up for the Minnesota Vikings. They brought in defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi from the Jacksonville Jaguars, defensive end Denico Autry from the Tennessee Titans, Mario Edwards Jr. from the Seattle Seahawks, and Jeff Okudah from the Atlanta Falcons. They impressed many in the football world already that players wanted to sign and be a part of this up-and-coming era.
Stroud is certainly building something special on the field, but credit also needs to be given to head coach DeMeco Ryans. Many knew that he deserved to get a head coaching job back when he was the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The former Texans player from 2006-2011 went back and is proving to be a fantastic hire by Caserio. He was a fantastic find by 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, and Caserio put his faith that Ryans would be the right man for the job in Houston as well.
As great as things seem right now, the Texans now must take advantage of their window of opportunity. This could be the start of a great new era for the franchise, but they need to take the right next steps. Time goes by fast and the seasons will start piling up before they know it. One benefit the team has is that Stroud is on his rookie contract. If he keeps performing the way he has and gradually improves, Caserio is going to have to shell out a bunch of money in order to keep him around. The time is now. Paying the stars will make keeping a great team together more difficult. Try to build toward and win a Super Bowl as quickly as possible before the tough decisions with keeping or getting rid of players arise.
The Sports Insanity Network 