Do Texans Have Multiple RBs Who 'Can Eat'?

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio is excited about the talent that the team has at running back.

In his first season as offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans, Bobby Slowik will be limited in the pass catching talent he has at his disposal. However, general manager Nick Caserio believes the team is actually in a pretty good position to take pressure off of Slowik and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud with their running game. 

When asked earlier this week about veteran running back Mike Boone, Caserio talked about how he believes he'll fit into a quartet with Dameon Pierce, Devin Singletary and Dare Ogunbowale. 

“Mike is an experienced player," Caserio said. "He’s taken advantage of his opportunities in games and I’d say he’s taken advantage of some opportunities in practice. 

"That group overall, they kind of complement each other real well. We kind of have four right now, including Dare, Mike, ‘D.P’ [Dameon Pierce] and ‘Motor’ [Singletary]. They’re here and we’re certainly happy with that group overall.”

Mike Boone will be part of the running back mix in Houston. (USA Today)

Pierce, of course, is expected to be the bellcow back for the Texans, following an impressive rookie season. After being selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Pierce rushed for 939 yards and four touchdowns a year ago, one of the few bright spots on an otherwise disastrous Texans team. 

But Caserio added depth this offseason to the running back room by signing both Singletary and Boone. Singletary rushed for over 3,100 yards and made some modest contributions as a pass catcher in four seasons with the Buffalo Bills. Boone has received just 99 carries in parts of five NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos, but has averaged 5.2 yards per carry. 

Singletary expressed a belief earlier this offseason that he and Pierce will be able to co-exist, and that same thought process likely extends to Boone to a lesser degree. 

“For one, it’s respect,” Singletary said. “We respect each other for sure. Two is — and this offense hasn’t been showing that — more than one guy can eat. You know what I’m saying? More than one guy can eat.”

While the Texans are hopeful that Stroud will develop into their franchise quarterback, he'll be limited in both the targets he has to throw to and the pass protection in front of him during his rookie season. As DeMeco Ryans' coaching staff tries to get their feet underneath them, it would hardly be surprising to see them lean on the running game, which the front office believes could be a strength of this offense.