The Houston Texans have been relatively quiet this offseason but made two big moves on day 7 of free agency. This past season the Texans were one of the worst passing offenses in the league. This team was 30th in the NFL in points scored and 29th in points per game. However, the Texans made some major moves regarding their offense with these signings.
To start, the Texans grabbed the best available tight end. According to Tom Pelissero, the Texans are signing Dalton Schultz to a one-year deal worth up to $9 million. The Texans’ tight end position was awful last year, and the team has shown they want to move on by allowing Jordan Akins and O. J. Howard to walk.
To follow this up, the Texans felt the need to bring in some additional help in the running back room. As reported by Adam Schefter, the Texans are giving former Buffalo Bills’ running back Devin Singletary a one-year deal worth up to $3.75 million.
Dalton Schultz: Value Down
For Schultz, this signing isn’t ideal. But, to be fair, anything besides staying with the Cowboys is a downgrade for him. This is because the Cowboys have an extremely friendly tight-end-friendly scheme. To go along with this, Dak Prescott is also known for often targeting his tight ends.
Historically average tight ends often are never the same after leaving their team. This description fits Schultz, as he has been solid the past few years but never been a top-five tight end.
On the flip side, there’s still a decent possibility that Schultz could remain fantasy-relevant next year. The Texans were terrible this past season but should have a much-upgraded offense in 2023. With the number two pick in the NFL draft, they can take C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young.
Either quarterback will drastically help out this offense. Even though they lack depth at wide receiver, this could be good for Schultz if the Texans’ rookie quarterback uses him as their safety blanket.
Devin Singletary: Value Slightly Down
Singletary was an average fantasy asset last season, with only 11.1 PPG. Despite being the lead back for most of the year, Singletary was rather unimpressive from a fantasy perspective despite finishing the season with 1099 scrimmage yards.
On the other hand, Singletary quietly had an excellent season from a real-life perspective. Singletary was on the field often during passing plays. This led to him being top five in the NFL for routes run. On top of this, Singletary was also very effective in pass protection.
With Dameon Pierce having a fantastic season, I expect the two to be on a committee. Even though Singletary won’t be an elite running back next year, he will be a plug-and-play type of player.
Dameon Pierce: Value Slightly Down
After a rookie season where Pierce avenged 12.8 fantasy PPG, he will be the starter next year. Despite the Texans bringing in Singletary, Pierce shouldn’t lose too much volume. Expect the two to be in a committee where Singletary gets a lot of the blocking work. Since Pierce wasn’t a great pass catcher this past year, with only 30 receptions, I can see Singletary slightly cutting into this.
This isn’t an excellent look for Pierce, but it was likely the Texans would bring in another running back. However, this is one of the best cases for Pierce instead of the Texans going out and signing or drafting an elite running back. Overall Pierce’s value shouldn’t take too much of a hit because this offense will be much better than in his rookie year.
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