The preseason is over for the Houston Texans, following a thrilling 17-15 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. While the outcome was meaningless, it was the last time some of these players would be on the Texans' roster. A lot of the players who played today were on the roster bubble. However, some of the cut players will wow people across the league.
These are three players who fit that mold for Houston:
Noah Brown
Brown was a special asset for the Texans in the 2023 campaign. Despite not eclipsing 600 yards last season, he was a key contributor when Houston turned itself around in the midseason stretch. His Week 9, 10, and 15 outings played a big factor in the squad winning against the Buccaneers, Bengals, and Titans, propelling the Texans to the playoffs.
However, Brown has not participated much in the offseason program due to a shoulder injury sustained in the playoffs last year. As a result, there is every possibility that the Texans cut him out of a loaded wide receiver group.
Although Brown could get cut, a universe exists where Brown returns to the team via the practice squad and could get elevated back to the main roster in the event of an injury to the receiver room.
Case Keenum
Similarly to Brown, Keenum played a big role in the Texans' success last season in the Week 15 meeting against the Tennessee Titans. Starter C.J. Stroud missed that game due to a concussion, leaving Keenum to start at quarterback for a week.
In that game, Keenum, in combination with Brown, would lead the Texans to a comeback win. In a division determined by a literal game, it could be said that Keenum's fourth-quarter and overtime heroics played as big a role in the Texans winning the AFC South as any other win by Stroud last season.
However, Keenum was competing for the third quarterback spot on the roster, assuming Houston opts to keep three on the team, with Tim Boyle. If the squad keeps a trio of signal callers, it feels like Boyle won the right for the third spot, despite Keenum's years of experience over him.
However, the possibility of joining the practice squad exists for Keenum. Along with that possibility comes an opportunity to return to the roster at some point.
Dare Ogunbowale
Ogunbowale is a running back who rarely saw offensive snaps in 2023 but played a factor on special teams. With a background in soccer, Ogunbowale nailed a field goal last year, which was the difference in the Week 9 win over Tampa Bay.
Although he was an emergency kicker, Ogunbowale played most of his snaps in kicking coverage. With that in mind, the return game changed this offseason. The blockers are likely to be defensive backs, tight ends, and wide receivers. Ogunbowale does not play any of those positions, thus it might be difficult for him to shed blocks and cover kicks.
The 30-year-old, if released, could find his way back on the Texans for his special teams prowess if there is an extra need for special teams coverage. Although, that, like the other players mentioned, would result in a practice squad call-up.
