The Houston Texans are coming off a 3-13-1 season, and they’re patiently building for the future.
They hired DeMeco Ryans to be their new head coach, and Ryans, who was the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers the last two years, is looking to build a winning culture in Houston.
On Friday, the team also signed veteran wide receiver Robert Woods, which, as Ian Rapoport pointed out, will give them a much-needed veteran presence.
Sources: Former #Titans and #Rams WR Robert Woods is signing with the #Texans, adding a veteran presence to a young team. He gets a 2-year, $15.25M deal with $10M fully guarantee and a max value of $17M.
A new QB’s best friend. pic.twitter.com/f58MZQKzA0
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2023
It is very important for a young, developing team such as the Texans to have a few key veterans on its roster, and it’s even better if one of those veterans has won a Super Bowl.
That is exactly what Woods accomplished in the 2021 season as a member of the Los Angeles Rams.
Although he tore his ACL in November and missed the rest of the season, he experienced the championship culture that they had spent years developing under head coach Sean McVay, and he can impart that wisdom and those winning philosophies onto a team that has never reached the AFC Championship Game.
Woods is 30 years of age, and although he played a career-low percentage of snaps in 2022 as a member of the Tennessee Titans, he can still be productive.
He put together 527 yards and two touchdowns this past season, but his 9.9 yards per reception were his lowest ever.
Houston will also have the second pick in next month’s NFL Draft, which will give them the opportunity to draft a quarterback such as Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud, should they decide to use the pick on a QB, as most expect.
