Texans bolstering offense with 2 veteran signees as rookie QB expected to be drafted

The Houston Texans continue to add more offensive pieces via free agency as they look to turn things around after struggling in recent seasons.

Former Dallas Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz and former Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary are reportedly signing with Houston to join first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans’ team. 

Both deals are one-year, prove-it contracts with Schultz reportedly worth up to $9 million and Singletary’s up to $3.75 million, per NFL Network.

Schultz and Singletary are the latest signees that also include wide receivers Noah Brown, a teammate of Schultz with the Cowboys, and Robert Woods, who was released by the Tennessee Titans. 

The Texans have been aggressive at adding pieces this offseason as they’re armed with cap space – $25.7 million before Monday, according to OverTheCap.com.

They also have the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and many speculate that the Texans will be using that pick for a rookie quarterback they hope can be their franchise leader for at least the length of his rookie contract.

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Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud are the consensus top two quarterbacks. With the Carolina Panthers trading up for the first overall selection, as well as adding veteran offensive weapons themselves this offseason, they are also expected to take one of those quarterbacks.

Houston has done well to beef up its offensive line as well. They gave Laremy Tunsil, their left tackle, another extension that makes him the highest-paid tackle in the NFL. He reportedly signed a three-year, $75 million deal with $60 million guaranteed.

The Texans also traded with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to land guard Shaq Mason.

In Schultz, the Texans will get a reliable pass catcher who is also a solid blocker at the position. The former fourth-round pick by the Cowboys developed into a starter for the past three seasons in Dallas, with a breakout year in 2021 with 808 yards and eight touchdowns.

This past season on a contract year, Schultz split time with Peyton Hendershot and Jake Ferguson, two rookies who both saw a good chunk of time in their first year in the league. 

It was expected Schultz would move on, and he should be considered the Texans’ top tight end once training camp gets underway.

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The same can’t be said for Singletary, though, because of the solid rookie campaign Dameon Pierce produced in Houston. He had 939 yards with four touchdowns in 13 games, which was better than Singletary’s 819 yards on 177 carries for Buffalo last season.

But Singletary and Pierce can certainly work in unison to get the ground game going for whichever rookie quarterback enters the building. Being in the Bills’ system means Singletary can run routes just as effectively has he hit a hole in the ground game. 

Singletary had 280 yards on 38 receptions with one touchdown last season for the Bills.

The Texans are hoping to get back to the playoffs after missing out the last three seasons. They went a combined 11-38 with three different head coaches and one interim head coach in place during those years, which means there will be pressure on Ryans to get these new pieces on the same page come Week 1.