Love this move, Nick seems to pay the players who are the pillars of this team. I wonder when Nico will get a bump, he is 24th in WR pay but is a top 10 player. Is there going to be any left for CJ..........Yikes Having so many dam good pieces on the, there going to get paid and it's a good problem but it is a problem. That's why I like some of the solid depth who could turn into starters, at some point someone will want $$ and we won't have the room or the amount they are looking at
Nico should prove that he can stay healthy. He's missed extended time the last 2 seasons, and couldn't hold up in the Playoffs.
[Garafolo] The extension for Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair is a three-year, $54 million deal, sources tell @RapSheet and me. Close to the top of the linebacker market in a deal done ahead of what would’ve been a contract year for Al-Shaair.
Ye just vicinity and occupational chemistry is draw enough. The work wifey who can fit in, can handle, and also be support is a different kind of appeal regardless of their looks lol. I guess it can be some power brokers draw or whatever. Like Rachel Nichols whole appeal is "insider clout" chick. She can punch above her own weight with that
I give the Texans an A+ for identifying needs. Everything I've seen looks like a potential answer to those needs. But now we have to see who becomes the designated weak point during the season. 2023 - OL 17 rotated through the room. 2024 - WR/RB. Injuries in both rooms changed our offense. 2025 - DB what began as a strength became an almost unfixable weakness as starters never started and depth went down quickly and replacements which should have helped didn't. Primarily thinking about safeties, but expanded to DBs since many of our safety depth played multiple positions. All of these blasted through the depth of anticipated need in an unpredictable way. Options for fixes were scarce to non-existent. It is likely some are will be hit again this season and there's no way to know ahead of time which room is the recipient. We're as deep as ever, but we still have to get lucky finding an effective fix when it happens.
That's the NFL life. Just because you get players that are fits on paper, doesnt mean they'll automatically produce & fit. Or maybe they give you 1 good year like Mixon, half a good year like Diggs, NO good year like Kirk. Or no years at ALL like Tony Boselli . (Or whatever the CJ Gardner thing was). . Texans are very very fortunate theyve rightfully chosen effective starters on defense at all positions. That's not attainable for 4 out 5 teams. For all of Caserio's mistakes, its needing to see how lower likelihood that is, compared to everyone else. Talking about depth pieces is a luxury most teams don't have So some luck has to be involved in filling out depth, too. I think for all of the Texans "likable" players at WR, when Nico was out, the WR room felt noticably thin. I'm not sure if Tank can be counted as a sure thing. That to me is still an area where a "sure #2" can stabilize things. Instead of "Please PLEASE Hutchinson, produce like Nico to get to the Super Bowl". It's "Thanks Hutch for play ing like a solid 3)"
My biggest concerns at this point are reserve DE and RB. If Will, Danielle, or Keep these odds in mind when every analyst predicts the Jaguars to win the AFC South next fall.
There are so many positives regarding the current Texans franchise, but CJ Stroud’s performance still remains the difference between a Super Bowl contender and an early playoff exit. Vegas SB odds would be higher if not for uncertainty at the QB position
I think we already did last year in the Playoffs. The defense is amazing but but they can only do so much. Stroud couldn't even hit open receivers (well unless they were wearing a different jersey). When he wasn't getting picked off and panicking in the pocket he was over throwing both teams. He's awful.
