2016 NFL offseason: Houston Texans needs

Running back Arian Foster

One of the most popular players in franchise history left in 2015 when wide receiver Andre Johnson was released by the Texans. While many lamented the loss, it was a necessary change and one that produced great results on the field.

As Johnson left for the Indianapolis Colts, his young partner DeAndre Hopkins stepped up his game and had a career year, despite the revolving door at quarterback.

This season another franchise leader could be heading out the door as reports have indicated that the team may move on from running back Arian Foster this offseason.

While he has been one of the best running backs in the NFL during his career, injuries have simply caught up to the veteran back who managed only four games in 2015 while missing three in 2014 and eight games in 2013.

The big difference here is that Houston doesn’t have a replacement in house that could step up like Hopkins did when Johnson left. Releasing Foster will create a hole, but with his injury history and inflated salary, it’s becoming too hard to justify keeping him on the roster any longer.

Wide receiver Nate Washington

The Texans brought in Nate Washington and while he performed well at times, his age started to catch up to him as the 32-year old missed two games due to injury for the first time in his career.

With 47 receptions for 658 yards and four touchdowns on the year, Washington still played remarkably well for a free agent addition that went highly under the radar last year.

The team could very well look to bring in someone to upgrade this position, or they could simply slide up their rookie from this past season to replace Washington.
Houston moved up in the draft to get Arizona State receiver Jaelen Strong, who played only sparingly his rookie year. Strong did show a lot of promise still as he caught two touchdowns on a Thursday Night game against the Colts, which was his first NFL action.

The rookie finished the year with just 14 receptions, but had three scores. He has the skill and confidence to slide into full time action and could be the reason the front office feels comfortable letting Washington walk.

Outside linebacker John Simon

While not necessarily a household name, outside linebacker John Simon turned in a very solid season for the AFC South Champions. With fellow outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney working his way back from microfracture knee surgery, Simon began the season as the starter and played very well.

With Clowney missing a few games after starting the year trying to return to strength, Simon started eight games while serving as a primary rotational pass rusher in the remaining eight games for Houston. He ended up with 53 tackles and five sacks and offered some much needed help as a pass rusher for a team that had solely been relying on defensive end J.J. Watt to do it all on his own in the past.

A fourth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2013, Simon found his niche with the Texans who picked him up in 2014. Now that he has shown his ability though, he may be inclined to seek a more lucrative offer than what Houston can give him with players like Clowney and fellow starter Whitney Mercilus already entrenched as the starters.

Other players that could be out the door would include their starting center Ben Jones and right guard Brandon Brooks. While both have a lot of starting experience and would be welcomed back, the Texans may be in trouble should they hit the open market.

Some team is always willing to overpay for starting experience, so in order to keep some continuity (and they need it) Houston will have to work hard to come to an agreement with one, or both of these guys during the renegotiating period.

Next: Players they should target in free agency