The Texans finish organized team activities this week, a point in the team’s offseason calendar that feels at once significant and meaningless. As Houston nose tackle Brandon Dunn recently said: "Everybody looks good in shorts right now." These pad-less practices function mostly as passing camps, offering coaches little to glean about certain position groups. Yet there are also just 10 OTA sessions, and the ever-increasing attention on player safety has resulted in fewer offseason opportunities for teams to evaluate their rosters. Compared to the era of two- and three-a-days, each instance when coaches actually do get to work with their players during the offseason has taken on added importance. "Whether you’re the head coach, the general manager, assistant coach, nutritionist, strength coach, trainer, player, equipment manager, video — whatever position you hold in this building, you’re being evaluated every day," O’Brien said. "That’s the nature of this business. The National Football League moves very fast, and you have to try to be at your best every single day for the success of the organization. As soon as they get out of their car and walk into the building, they’re being evaluated as to what they’re doing and how they’re helping the team win, in all phases. That’s an ongoing process." Near the end of OTAs, the Texans are still at a stage in that process that doesn’t require many hard decisions. The team will host a three-day veteran minicamp before allowing players about a month off prior to training camp. Houston doesn’t have to trim the roster for months, but players’ performances in May and June will influence what the team looks like in September. With that in mind, here’s a look at the non-rookie Texans with the most to prove during the remainder of the offseason as they hope to stick with the Texans.
Vyncint Smith
There’s a reason a couple of wide receivers ended up on The Athletic’s list of undrafted rookies with strong chances to make the regular season roster. Smith, an undrafted rookie himself just a year ago, showed some field-stretching ability last season, but he didn’t do enough in seven games to grab a firm hold on a backup receiver spot for the Texans, who are in need of depth at the position. Deshaun Watson claimed last week that Smith has "improved mentally, physically, all-around" from his rookie year. With Will Fuller still recovering from his ACL tear and DeAndre Hopkins electing not to participate in the team’s voluntary OTAs (at least the sessions open to media), Smith has had plenty of opportunities to affirm his quarterback’s comments. He and second-year slot receiver Keke Coutee are among the most experienced receivers at practice, and they’re leading the group. Compared to offensive and defensive linemen, wide receivers can actually show quite a bit in practices during this part of the year. The sessions include a fair amount of non-contact, 11-on-11 drills that center around the passing game. "You can learn how they learn," O’Brien said of wide receivers in OTAs. "How they pick up things, how they can take it from the meeting room to the field, how fast they can play without thinking, how hard they work at understanding formations, route running, how much they can pick up defensively."
Senio Kelemete
O’Brien and general manager Brian Gaine have both expressed optimism that Martinas Rankin will show great improvement in his second pro season, when he’ll settle in at guard after playing some tackle as a rookie. If he does, then Kelemete, the team’s left guard for most of last season, might face a difficult path to making the 53-man roster. Compared to the other Texans competing for playing time at guard, Kelemete, 30, has perhaps the least job security. He played some center for the Saints, but based on practice reps, the Texans seem to consider him to be strictly a guard. And Kelemete’s contract carries less than $1 million in dead money in each of the next two seasons. Now look at the team’s other guards:
— Zach Fulton, who started opposite Kelemete for much of last season, enters the second year of his four-year, $28 million deal with a secure spot on the roster. Barring injuries, he should be a starter.
— Even if he doesn’t capture one of those starting guard jobs, Rankin, a third-round pick in 2017, is still playing on a cheap rookie contract. And in just his second year, he’s still early in his career for the Texans to cut him. They, understandably, want to develop (and defend) their own draft picks.
— Second-round pick Max Scharping played mostly right tackle in college, and he very well might start there next season, depending on whether Seantrel Henderson remains healthy. But Scharping has also had opportunities during OTAs to practice at guard, and if the Texans feel playing him inside is the best way to immediately improve their offensive line, then they should do that. The unit’s situation is too dire to be idealistic and place more value on playing a second-round pick at tackle instead.
— Greg Mancz, who has mostly been a backup in four seasons with the Texans, is playing on a cheaper deal than Kelemete’s, and he offers the versatility Houston values. He served as the team’s swing guard last season and he started 16 games at center in 2016.
Carlos Watkins
Watkins flashed potential during his rookie year, in 2017, when injuries deprived the Texans of J.J. Watt and Christian Covington for significant stretches. A fourth-round pick out of Clemson, Watkins appeared in 12 games as a rookie, playing about a third of Houston’s defensive snaps while recording 21 tackles, including three behind the line of scrimmage. But the Texans had a healthier line during the next year, and Watkins didn’t continue to receive opportunities. He played in just four games last season and recorded his first career sack in Week 17. Covington is now gone, opening up a potential spot for Watkins to contribute in 2019, but the team has also added fifth-round pick Charles Omenihu to its line. And Joel Heath, a former undrafted defensive lineman entering his fourth year with the Texans, will also fight for a roster spot.
Darren Fells
The Texans cut one of their two veteran tight ends when they released Ryan Griffin. Will they get rid of the other one, too? Fells, 33, signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal this offseason. The Texans added him for his blocking ability, but then the tight end room became a bit more crowded. A year after selecting two tight ends, Houston drafted Kahale Warring in the third round. Fells’ path to making the roster now seemingly requires the team to carry four tight ends on its roster. Is doing so worthwhile? Had the Texans not taken fullback Cullen Gillaspia in the seventh-round, it might be easier to argue in Fells’ favor. But it seems unlikely Houston would carry a fullback and a fourth tight end on its roster. The team might end up cutting both Fells and Gillaspia, but a rookie who is playing on the cheaper deal and offers special teams value seems like the better bet to stick.
Matt Kalil
It’s a five-way competition for Houston’s two starting tackle jobs. At OTAs, four of the men competing for those jobs — Henderson, Scharping, Julién Davenport and first-round pick Tytus Howard — have played on both sides of the line. Then there’s Kalil, who has not yet returned to practice and instead has spent practices on a separate field with other players who haven’t received medical clearance. Kalil missed all of last season following a knee surgery, and the Texans knew when they signed him that he wouldn’t be fully ready right away. But missing time while Sharping and Howard settle in can’t help Kalil’s cause. To his credit, Kalil has appeared to take attentive notes during the portions of offensive line drills he’s observed at OTAs. If the former No. 4 overall pick is healthy and active for every game next season, Houston will owe him $7.5 million. That’s a hefty price for a backup. So maybe Kalil’s only realistic path to sticking in Houston is earning a starting spot. As bad as Davenport looked last season, his youth and lack of injury history might also make him a more attractive option than Kalil as a swing tackle. At 24, Davenport still possesses upside. Kalil is a one-year bet who doesn’t offer the Texans favorable odds of success.
Seantrel Henderson
The Texans want Henderson to be their starting right tackle, if he can stay healthy. But that’s a mighty big if. He’s played in just eight games in the past three years, including just one last year, in his debut season with Houston. It’s hard to learn much about offensive linemen in OTAs, but Henderson has appeared healthy and without any limitations. Now he has to remain that way.