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The first wave of free agency is over. It’s time to examine what the Texans should be looking for in the 2019 NFL Draft."The Texans’ opening free agency salvo now behind us. It’s time to take a look at what the Texans’ needs might be heading into the 2019 NFL Draft and the reasons why they should still be drafting a armada of cornerbacks.DRAFT NEED NO. 1: CornerbackThe Texans walked into the offseason with big questions swirling around the cornerback position. Kareem Jackson was a free agent. Kevin Johnson and Aaron Colvin were suffering from injuries and a loss of form Cullen Gillaspia Jersey 2019 , respectively. The voodoo magic Johnathan Joseph had been using to elongate his career had begun to wear off. Once free agency began, the Texans bid adieu to Kevin Johnson and watched Kareem Jackson sign a three-year deal with the Denver Broncos. Just as the Denver Broncos raided the Texans for some secondary help, the Texans turned towards former Broncos first round pick Bradley Roby to help provide them with some quality. In addition to Roby, former Browns nickel corner Briean Boddy-Calhoun was added to the Texans’ depth chart at the position. These new faces add potential quality depth to a position that has been riddled with injuries and poor performances over the past couple of seasons, but neither offer any real promise of long term security. Roby signed for one season and his play throughout his career has had promising moments along with more inconsistent ones.The same goes for Boddy-Calhoun.The draft helps teams regenerate certain positions through the addition of young talent, especially because these players are locked in on a team friendly contract for four to five years. The draft rarely benefits teams looking to add one final piece to aid in a playoff push. The inexperienced nature of younger players and the development cycles that can take two or three seasons kill teams who need them to perform right away. However, due to the nature of the Texans’ situation at corner, there is a legitimate chance the Texans can find a player who makes an immediate impact on the depth chart. They could find their CB1 while also providing a platform to ensure long-term stability at the position. Houston is in win-now mode, and the draft often times does not favor this approach. It typically favours more forward thinking approaches to roster building, but the Texans are in a unique position.Potential Options: Greedy Williams (LSU), Byron Murphy (Washington), DeAndre Baker (Georgia).DRAFT NEED NO. 2: Offensive TackleThe much maligned offensive tackle position for the Texans has certainly garnered a lot of attention this offseason due to the often noticeable failings throughout the 2018 season. Going into this offseason, the Texans’ tackle rotation consisted of Julien Davenport, Martinas Rankin, and Seantrel Henderson. The Texans primary right tackle last year, Kendall Lamm, recently signed a deal with the Cleveland Browns, further draining the Texans’ talent at the position. This position is a bit more fluid in the sense that while the Texans have already addressed cornerback through free agency, they have yet to address the offensive tackle position. That being said, they are linked to various free agent tackles, such as former Raiders OT Donald Penn and former Bills OT Jordan Mills. For the sake of this discussion, I’m going to assume the Texans would bring in at least one veteran tackle in order to add depth and maybe quality to the position. If the Texans for some bizarre reason don’t attempt to address this position through free agency or trade, then this position takes quick precedence above cornerback. However that assumes a certain degree of negligence on the Texans part and that would never happen.........Much like the corner position the tackle position for the Texans could almost be instantly improved, and have it’s potential future secured through the draft. However, unlike the cornerback position, the cupboard isn’t entirely bare. Davenport has showed promise at left tackle. Martinas Rankin is still young and there is room for development. This alongside the general tendency for offensive lineman to have longer development cycles (think Derek Newton) makes the prospect of drafting another young offensive lineman to come in and replace these young players harder to swallow. The most obvious problems this raises is that playing time is scarce, and yet it’s one of the factors for development, so if you are playing young tackles off of each other for playing time you can be potentially stifling their own development. Cornerback doesn’t have that same kind of issue because there isn’t any other young talent there for the Texans to potentially cannibalize. Both of these positions are in dire need of a infusion of talent and deciding which one between them is just a splitting of hairs. The nature of the draft is to acquire and develop young and cheap talent, which is a key part of roster building, and drafting another tackle early on would work against this.Potential Options: Andre Dillard (Washington St.) , Greg Little (Ole Miss), Jawaan Taylor (Florida).DRAFT NEED NO. 3: Defensive TackleLet’s go all John Lennon for a second and imagine tackle or cornerback aren’t that much of a need. Roby is a secret stud, and Davenport is about ready to evolve into his final form. It’s easy if you try. The Texans’ defense, and in particular its front seven Cullen Gillaspia Jersey Mens , has been the most consistent and productive part of the roster for the past couple of seasons. It makes sense because the value of pass rushers seems to be one of those very few universal constants within the NFL. A strong defensive line is worth its weight in gold. Being able to stop the run and harass quarterbacks are elements that will always be needed on NFL teams. The Texans are blessed with two excellent talents in this regard in J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney. Instead, let’s examine this idea: You could make the defensive line so fantastic that its effects minimize the requirements of the rest of the defense. Think of the Carolina Panthers as a model for this. They focus their investment on the front seven with the understanding that the strength of that unit can negate the penalties of not investing evenly throughout the rest of the defense. It also protects against the potential fear that the Texans and Jadeveon Clowney can’t come to a long-term deal on a new contract. The value of a great defensive line is so great so that it could be worth far more than making slight improvements over other positions such as cornerback, offensive tackle, or running back. POTENTIAL OPTIONS: Christian Wilkins (Clemson), Dre’Mont Jones (Ohio St.), Jeffrey Simmons (Mississippi St.) BONUS OPTION: Burn it all down.Earlier this offseason, we talked about how the Texans’ championship window was currently open for the next two to three seasons because Deshaun Watson will be playing under his rookie contract. During this time, the Texans are not burdened with the immense cap commitment that comes with veteran quarterbacks.So if the Texans are truly in win-now mode, what use is the addition of younger players who may not flourish or reach their peaks within this window? Furthermore, what use are they when their rookie contracts run out and they are not able to be retained due to the scarcity of cap space thanks to Waton’s very large future contract extension? This is not to say the potential of the players selected as a whole isn’t a complete bust or a waste of an assest. Draft picks themselves are forms of ethereal assets that can hold zero or a lot of value to the holder. In this case, why wouldn’t the Texans look to utilize these assets now in order to acquire veterans who could contribute for this current potential title push? It’s so incredibly difficult to win a title in the NFL that the value sometimes outweighs the costs that it could potentially bring about. Would anyone remember the Texans’ careful management of draft picks and sustained roster development if they never won a Lombardi Trophy? I dare say they wouldn’t. Titles mean everything, so who would care if they sacrificed potential long-term security and development for the prospect of winning a title or two now? Is it worth it? The Associated Press will hand out its individual NFL awards on the night before the Super Bowl in Minneapolis. Until then, here are some off-the-beaten track honors to consider. — BEST GAME: Patriots 27, Steelers 24. It was ballyhooed for weeks, and in most ways it lived up to the billing. Seesaw contest matching the AFC’s best teams (by far), filled with big plays and controversy – don’t ask Steelers fans about the ”catch rule.” That Pittsburgh nearly won without Antonio Brown, probably the NFL’s best player, was a testament to the Steelers’ grit. But Ben Roethlisberger throwing an interception in the end zone at the end could be the most damaging play for one team. Runners-up: Seahawks 41, Texans 38; Raiders 31, Chiefs 30. — WORST GAME: Lots of candidates here. You would think the Browns, at 0-15, would have a lock, but their main stinker is a runner-up to Buffalo’s 9-3 loss to Carolina in Week 2. Even the game’s broadcasters seemed to be yawning their way through the ”action.” Runners-up: Titans 12, Browns 9, which at least had some cachet because it went to overtime; Bears 33, Bengals 27, when Cincinnati didn’t show up; Broncos 23, Jets 0, when New York didn’t show up. — BEST GAME SCENE (special award): Buffalo’s home win in the snow vs. Indianapolis . Punts landing and sticking in the snow. The inability to see across the field because the snow fell so hard. Little semblance of a passing game. More than 2 inches of snow crusting the field. And a fan base that celebrated by making snowmen in the stands. Give us more of that! — BEST PLAY OF THE YEAR: Tyreek Hill vs. Cowboys. The Kansas City receiver, as dangerous as anyone in the league when he has the ball, took a short pass from Alex Smith at the end of the first half and weaved through pretty much the entire Dallas defense to somehow beat the prevent D for a touchdown. Runners-up: Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore’s interception vs. the Falcons in Week 16. If you recall Julian Edelman’s sensational grab in the Super Bowl in February, also victimizing Atlanta, this one was similarly magical. And don’t forget – how could you if you saw it? – DeAndre Hopkins tapping the ball with his right hand to himself over a Pittsburgh defender in the end zone, then grabbing the ball with the left hand as he barely came down inbounds. — WORST PLAY OF THE YEAR: Seattle opted against a 35-yard field goal attempt by Blair Walsh at the end of the first half against Atlanta Youth Cullen Gillaspia Jersey , even though the kick would have pulled the Seahawks within 24-20. Instead, holder Jon Ryan completed a shovel pass to tight end Luke Willson, but Grady Jarrett read the play and tackled Willson for a 4-yard loss. The Seahawks lost the game, giving the Falcons a key tiebreaker edge for a playoff berth. Runners-up: Marcus Cooper’s showboating at the end of a blocked kick that should have been a touchdown, turned into a touchback. Leon Lett II. — BEST COACHING MOVE: In a victory that set them up for a superb season, the Eagles positioned unheralded kicker Jake Elliott, new to the team, for a potential winning field goal. Doug Pederson showed faith in the rookie, who nailed a 61-yarder for the first of nine consecutive wins. Runners-up: Mike Zimmer sticking with Case Keenum as his quarterback; coaches who entrusted their running game to rookies. — WORST COACHING MOVE: Has to be a tie here, though one move cost a coach his job. Ben McAdoo benched Giants icon Eli Manning and somehow management was on board. The backlash was loud and nasty, and a week later, it was McAdoo who was out as coach. Manning was back behind center, too. At the Chargers in November, Bills coach Sean McDermott benched starting QB Tyrod Taylor in favor of rookie Nate Peterman. The kid was in way too deep: Peterman threw five interceptions in the first half. IN THE FIRST HALF! Runner-up: Denver’s Vance Joseph insisting on sticking with Isaiah McKenzie as his punt returner. Results included fumbling six times, including a punt for a safety against Miami. — MOST IMPROVED PLAYER (OFFENSE): Adam Thielen, Vikings. The Minnesota State product began his breakout last season. This year, he’s moved into the elite level peopled by the likes of Antonio Brown and Julio Jones. Runners-up: QBs Carson Wentz, Eagles, Case Keenum, Vikings, and Jared Goff, Rams; RB Alex Collins, Ravens; WRs Nelson Agholor, Eagles, and Robby Anderson, Jets. — MOST IMPROVED PLAYER (DEFENSE): DeMarcus Lawrence, Cowboys. Dallas has pegged him as its next great pass rusher, and he came through in style this season with 14+ sacks. He’s the kind of player to build a defensive line around. Runners-up: Jaguars DE Yannick Ngakoue, who somehow didn’t get voted to the Pro Bowl; teammate CB Jalen Ramsey; Titans safety Kevin Byard, also a non-Pro Bowler. — BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT (PLAYER): Amari Cooper topped 1,000 yards receiving in his first two seasons with the Raiders and appeared poised for a breakout season. But the drops that plagued Cooper early in his career returned, and outside of a 210-yard game against Kansas City in October, Cooper provided little. Runner-up: Texans linebacker Brian Cushing for yet another suspension (10 games) for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancers policy. — BIGGEST SURPRISE (TEAM): Take your choice among these 2016 tailenders that soared: Eagles, Rams White Cullen Gillaspia Jersey , Jaguars, Saints. We’ll go with Jacksonville, where a culture change was needed as well as an improved roster and better performances. The Jags got all of that . — BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT (TEAM): So many, but the Giants, uh, top this list. After making the playoffs under first-year coach Ben McAdoo, led by a staunch defense, they turned into a sieve. Too much tumult, and soon they were contending for a super-high draft choice, McAdoo and GM Jerry Reese were canned. Runners-up: Raiders, Buccaneers, Packers, Cowboys, Broncos. — BEST PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER: Splitting this into two sections, TV and radio. With the always-prepared and often-opinionated (but fairly) Mike Tirico back in a pretty regular gig on NBC, he grabs this honor once more. Tirico is the epitome of a professional play-by-play man and a rare voice who brings some journalistic chops to the job. Our radio voice, also an oft-repeater, is Kevin Harlan. He also does CBS games on Sunday, but his work on Monday nights is perfection. Driving in your car, listening on your mobile device, whatever – Harlan is the man. Runners-up: Ian Eagle (CBS), Spero Dedes (CBS), Sean McDonough (ESPN), Kenny Albert (Fox). — BEST ANALYST: Another repeater. Hall of Fame wide receiver James Lofton, now ensconced at CBS, brings humor and insight to the role. Few former players present as well-rounded an analysis, and even when Lofton seems headed on a tangent, he brings the viewers right back where they want to be. Runners-up: Troy Aikman (Fox), Rich Gannon (CBS), Dan Fouts (CBS), Tony Romo (CBS). —