Battle Red Blog
snap judgements: fun for all the boys & girls
The Houston Texans 2025 offseason has been anything but uneventful. General Manager Nick Caserio has once again proved he loves wheelin’ and dealin', making several trades and signing a busload of free agents. Through all this, per Overthecap.com the Texans are currently banking on roughly $18 million in cap space.
Since we’re all anxiously waiting for the draft, this seems like as good a time as any to start a meaningless sports bar debate on the quality, intelligence and impact of some of these moves.
First off, no matter how good or bad the Texans offseason turns out, at least we’re not the Tennessee Titans, amirite?
Quick Hits (cause I can’t bring myself to say “Hawt Takes” with a straight face)
Sure in some stats and metrics Tunsil was a top 5 left tackle in a league that lives and dies by the quality of the left tackle. And, when he brought his A game, he was the best lineman on the field. “Giving away” a player like that will immediately ignite a hornet’s nest of ill-informed judgement calls and derision from the national media. Let’s face it, most of them barely know the Texans exist, much less have a pulse on how the team operates. So, who cares what they think? Right?
Tunsil, despite his perceived major upside, has rarely brought the best version of himself to the team he played for in the NFL. From his bong-mask draft drop, to the Miami Dolphins happily dealing him to Bill O’Brien, to false starts galore, “pay me” and “pay me again” and “I’ma get paid agin!” It’s really, really hard to make an argument that Tunsil was an inspiring, team leader who made the players around him better.
Think J.J. Watt. Now think Tunsil.
This isn’t a condemnation of the man - by all means get paid. Take your God-given talent and turn it into generational wealth for your children, grand-children, etc. But Tunsil could have done that and still elevated his fellow linemen the same way Watt, Ryans and others have done. His influence potentially could have done enough to get the Texans to the Super Bowl. Instead, he stood around while quarterback C.J. Stroud got pummeled, turned his back when Stroud was knocked down, turned the other apathetic cheek to the run game failures and otherwise “led by example” that he believed the “I” was more important than the “team”.
And, that’s not gonna fly with Caserio, Demeco Ryans and those in the know.
Houston’s WR1, Nico Collins, is a consummate professional. More Andre Johnson than DeAndre Hopkins. He gives it his all, works tirelessly to elevate the team and doesn’t create drama (not to say Nuk didn’t, but bear with me). Collins is also younger, healthier and more productive than Diggs.
Diggs is a big personality, ala...
