This Surprise Position Battle Could Define Texans Training Camp

Bill O’Brien and the Houston Texans turned the page on the DeAndre Hopkins era in Houston, much to the chagrin of everyone with a functioning brain who was able to see that the Arizona Cardinals fleeced the Texans in this deal.

Houston needed to replace Deshaun Watson’s favorite target, and they chose a committee approach to do so. Will Fuller, Keke Coutee and Kenny Stills were already in town, but the Texans decided to trade for former Rams burner Brandin Cooks, sign former Packers and Cowboys slot star Randall Cobb, and use a fifth-round pick on Rhode Island’s Isaiah Coulter.

Cooks looks like the early WR1 given his pedigree, but the speed of Fuller and Stills, plus the reliability of Cobb, make this as open of a competition as possible. The line between WR1 and WR5 on this team is razor-thin.

The veterans have the edge right now, but young guys like Coulter and Coutee shouldn’t be discounted as guys Watson will target heavily this season.

The Texans have six receivers who will essentially be competing for four spots on the depth chart, and none of them has a smidgen of playing time guaranteed. While this could be a great way to foster competition between the receivers, it also goes to show what a disorganized mess Houston’s wideout room looks like without No. 10. If a No. 1 target fails to emerge, Watson and the Texans could be in for a rough 2020 season throwing the ball.