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The DeMeco Ryans era is underway! The Houston Texans played their first preseason game against the New England Patriots. Training camp is a long, tedious grind, so getting to actual games, even if they are preseason games, is a worthwhile sight for many players. Guys like CJ Stroud, Will Anderson, John Metchie III, and Tank Dell made their NFL debuts.
For others, however, these games mean a lot more. Other players need to show out in the Texans' next two preseason games to establish themselves as being truly worthy of being selected for the Texans' 53-man roster. There's a big difference between making the 53-man roster and being a free agent or even on a practice squad. Two players, in particular, need big showings in the preseason to make sure the former is their destiny and not the latter.
Mike Boone
Mike Boone is no stranger to showing out in the preseason. Back in Minnesota, multiple strong performances in the preseason paved the way for him to make their roster.
MIKE BOONE.
64-yard sprint for the @Vikings TD!@_lococinco | #MINvsNO pic.twitter.com/0B2xgX6CvP
— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2019
Boone did have a 148-yard, one touchdown breakout performance on 17 carries back in Week 17 of the 2019 season, but he hasn't been able to make his name as a running back in the time since then. He's mostly been relegated to change-of-pace and special teams duty. He's also bounced around the NFL, going from the Minnesota Vikings to the Denver Broncos and now he's in Houston.
Houston's depth chart isn't very deep behind Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary, but Boone still has competition to make this roster. Dare Ogunbowale is not the runner Boone is but is also a special teams ace. The Texans also signed Xazavian Valladay to a big deal for an undrafted free agent that guaranteed Valladay $175,000. Boone signed a two-year deal that guaranteed him $300,000. Boone has more invested in him by the team, but clearly, they like Valladay too. Boone probably still ends up making this roster, but a big performance or two should ice it.
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Ka'dar Hollman
Ka'dar Hollman was a sixth-round pick by the Green Bay Packers back in 2019. He only played ten games with the team, though, and was traded to Houston by the Packers for 2022 seventh-round pick back in 2021 to help bolster Houston's secondary. However, Hollman was later cut by the Texans and has bounced across practice squads since then. But over six months ago, Hollman signed a reserve/future contract with the Texans to make his way back to Houston.
Hollman is back in Houston and has experience with head coach DeMeco Ryans' scheme (one of Hollman's practice squad stops was in San Francisco, where Ryans was the defensive coordinator), but has his work cut out for him to make Texans' 53-man roster. Derek Stingley Jr., Steven Nelson, Shaquil Griffin, and Desmond King II are locks among cornerbacks to make the roster. That means Hollman will likely have to compete with Kendall Sheffield and Tavierre Thomas to snag one of the last couple of spots at the position. The odds are against Hollman, but the roster spot is there for the taking.
Moving Forward
The Texans have been lost in the abyss for the last two seasons. They finally found their franchise quarterback and now want to take the next step forward as a team and franchise. Mike Boone and Ka'dar Hollman (among others) have other priorities. They just want to make the roster. It's unlikely that Mike Boone and Ka'dar Hollman project to be a big part of the Texans' plans, but maybe a few big preseason performances by the two will see them join the Texans on their journey back to competitiveness and relevance.
