Got a question about the Texans?
Life in general?
Drew Dougherty's your guy.
He's been with the Texans since 2009 and is chock full of meaningful, as well as generally useless, information. Fire away by clicking HERE.
Carlette Moore: Dear Drew, Where do you think C.J. Stroud ranks among all rookies over the last 10 years?
DD: Carlette, it's tough to put many rookies ahead of him the last decade, much less in the history of the NFL.
Let's recap what he did: the young quarterback guided Houston to 10 regular season wins, plus a playoff victory in the Wild Card round, after the franchise careened in the double-digit loss depths from 2020 through 2022. He tossed 23 touchdown passes and was picked off just five times. He cracked the 4,000-yard mark through the air, and was atop or near the top of the leaderboard in terms of completion percentage on passes of 20 yards or more.
His teammates elected him a captain, which is an incredibly rare feat for a rookie.
In the last decade, only three players won Offensive Rookie of the Year and were also on a playoff team. In 2021, receiver Ja'Marr Chase was a terror, finishing with 18 yards per catch, 1,455 receiving yards in all, and 13 touchdown catches. He helped the Bengals to the Super Bowl that year.
In 2017, Saints running back Alvin Kamara averaged 6.1 yards per carry, scored 13 touchdowns and logged nearly 1,600 rushing and receiving yards for New Orleans.
A year prior, Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott put up numbers very similar to Stroud's. He threw 23 touchdowns and was picked off only four times, and he also ran for six more scores. The Cowboys were bounced from the playoffs by the Packers in the Divisional Round that January. However, Dallas was just two years removed from a 12-4 NFC East title season, and in 2015 they were 3-1 before quarterback Tony Romo was lost for the year because of an injury.
Prescott was fantastic that rookie year, but I'd give the nod to Stroud based on the supporting cast and the franchise's recent history in the runup to what occurred.
Gary Lalendorff: Dear Drew, Is the return of J.J. Watt a dead issue? Thanks! And Go Texans!!
DD: No, Gary, it's not a dead issue.
He's on record as saying he would be willing to play if the Texans needed him.
Conversely, Head Coach DeMeco Ryans has said "I've got his number ready to go just in case we need him. ... I may need to make that call, so I'm happy that it's open from him."
Injuries happen, and if Houston was in a pinch at some point this season, they could possibly bring back the future Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Joseph Chew: Dear Drew, No question…just a general statement. Great job and keep pressing forward! Thanks.
DD: Right back at you, Joseph. Keep on truckin', yourself.
Alan Patterson: Dear Drew, I love all the information you give us fans. But I was wondering when the Texans will ever open their roof for a game? This year maybe?
DD: Maybe. It's always a possibility.
Bacari Walker: Dear Drew, Will the Texans add more depth to the roster to bolster up certain positions before the season starts?
DD: Yes, the team will absolutely make some more transactions between now and Week 1. It happens every year with free agent signings, cuts, trades, the waiver wire, etc. I don't think you'll see any headline-grabbing moves, but you'll definitely see some movement along the roster between now and the beginning of the regular season.
