Can 2008 finally be the Texans breakout year? Quarterback Sage Rosenfals has been rumored to be on the trade block since the arrival of Quinn Gray. Will someone emerge from the committee of Ahman Green, Chris Brown, Darius Walker and Chris Taylor, or, will the team look to grab a running back from what is considered to be a very deep draft class? NFL Insider Bryan Palmese provides some insight.

HOUSTON TEXANS
2007 Record: 8 – 8
2008 Draft Selection: # 18
2008 Adjust Salary Cap Number: 114.52M (Est. $2M)

Prominent Player Departures:
CB – Von Hutchins, LB – Charlie Anderson, Danny Clark, DB – Michael Boulware

Areas of Need This Off Season:
Cornerback, Offensive Tackle, Safety, Defensive End, Wide Receiver

Remaining Free Agents Potentially on the Texans’ Radar:
CB – Ralph Brown, Dominique Foxworth, B. J. Sams
OT – Donald Penn, Shane Olivea, Eric Pears, L. J. Shelton
S – Hamza Abdullah, Chris Crocker, Hiram Eugene
DE – Kalimba Edwards, Greg Spires, Al Wallace
WR – Darrell Jackson, Lance Moore, Eric Moulds

Summary:
Matt Schaub’s first year under center in Houston was quite a roller coaster ride which included a few eye-opening games as well as some injury setbacks. As a whole, the Houston Texans had their best season to date, finishing at 8-8. The future is looking bright in H-Town as some young players are fulfilling their potential. Some experts and fans frowned upon the organization when they decided to select Mario Williams number one overall in 2006. Many thought Vince Young or Reggie Bush would have been the proper choice especially the former since he had hometown ties to Texas. Two years later, many are now applauding the Williams pick. The ex-Wolfpack star was hardly noticeable on the field early on, but showed flashes of his immense talent toward the end of the 2006 season. 2007 was very productive for Williams and lining him up next to 2007 first round pick, Amobi Okoye, only helped expedite this process. Okoye was drafted at 19 years old and though he is raw, the ceiling for his potential is sky-high. With the defensive line coming together, the Texans brought in a young gunslinger that was waiting patiently for his time to shine. After being Ron Mexico’s….err…. Michael Vick’s back-up in Atlanta for a few years, Matt Schaub came to Houston eager to put himself amongst the elite in the league. These three youngsters, along with Andre Johnson, Travis Johnson, Dunta Robinson and DeMeco Ryans, form a tight youthful nucleus to build around. Thus far in free agency, the Texans have brought in some depth with the acquisitions of cornerback Jacques Reeves, running back Chris Brown, and quarterback Quinn Gray. Reeves is a solid nickelback, however with Dunta Robinson likely to miss the 2008 season, it wouldn’t hurt to bring in another corner via free agency or the draft. The top available names in free agency at this position are nickelback material anyway, so look for Houston to fill this need in the draft. If Houston uses their first selection on a corner, look for Michael Jenkins from South Florida or Aqib Talib from Kansas. Both are shut down corners and both are from programs that weren’t necessarily in the spotlight. The biggest problem for Houston since their inception has been the offensive line. The Texans are in luck this year because the draft is bursting with talent on the offensive line. Several offensive tackles are ripe for the picking and hopefully one will be available at 18. Jeff Otah from Pittsburgh or Chris Williams from Vanderbilt would satiate the Texans’ desire. The only problem is that there are several tackle-hungry teams selecting before Houston. If offensive tackle is not addressed in the draft, then free agency would be the other, less productive option. Donald Penn, Shane Olivea, and LJ Shelton remain free agents and would merely be a band-aid over a gun-shot wound in 2008. Former Broncos’ center Chris Myers was recently obtained via trade, and adds some youthful upside to the offensive line. The safety position has a gaping hole and unfortunately, there aren’t any answers as of right now. Spring cleaning has officially occurred in free agency and the crop of rookie safety draftees is not too promising. The Texans will be watching the waiver wire from now until training camp with their fingers crossed that some team releases a talented safety. Andre Johnson would love to have a weapon on the opposite side of the field on Sundays. Darrell Jackson would be helpful as he is a veteran and can be productive at times…when he’s not injured or dropping passes. There is some talent in the draft as well that could intrigue Houston. Local product Limas Sweed is slated to go around the late ‘teens to early twenties. Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly are also solid prospects at the receiver position.