In football, with a 53-man roster, a 16-man practice squad, and any number of other players on various lists, injured or otherwise, off the roster, no move is made in a vacuum. Every move affects multiple people, multiple facets of a team.

Trades and free agency signings are done to fill holes and hopefully upgrade, Draft choices are undoubtedly done to upgrade the young talent on a team, and hopefully build some depth. This time of year, once the dust has settled on big name free agents, and all that's left are middle tier and low level free agents to go along with the draft in a couple weeks, we will really learn about how teams feel about some of their players who are at what I like hoc all "performance crossroads."

For some players on the Houston Texans, whose performances have been, at best, scattershot, it's unknown exactly how the team feels about them. However, we may get some clarity over the next few weeks of free agency plus the NFL Draft. Four such players are these prominent draftees from the Class of 2022:

DAMEON PIERCE, RB
Pierce was one of the few bright spots for the 2022 Houston Texans, leading the team in rushing with almost 1,000 yards, and taking home the "Angry Run" award at the NFL Honors ceremony for his vicious run in a win against Jacksonville. In 2023, however, he openly struggled with adapting to Bobby Slowik's offense, and by season's end, he was getting no snaps in playoff games. The only move the Texans have made at running back is trading for Joe Mixon. Thus far, they appear to be confident in Pierce bouncing back in his third season.

JALEN PITRE, S
Like Pierce, Pitre had a solid enough rookie year, and is highly thought of by his teammates, so much so that he was voted a captain in 2023. However, Pitre took a major step backward in practically every phase last season — coverage, mental errors, tackling. I don't think the Texans drafting a safety would necessarily mean they're out on Pitre, but signing a high level veteran like Justin Simmons would certainly make it look like they've lost some degree of confidence in him.

JOHN METCHIE, WR
Metchie is kind of a special case. The former second round pick spent his rookie year fighting cancer, and in 2023, after being declared fully healthy, put together an underwhelming first fully active season. I don't think the Stefon Diggs trade is a referendum on Metchie. That was a unique opportunity to add a superstar. What would show a decline in confidence in Metchie would be using one fo the two second round picks on a receiver, something I see as a strong possibility.

KENYON GREEN, LG
Green was completely underwhelming as a rookie in 2022, and then basically redshirted in 2023 on injured reserve all season so that he could be surgically repaired, and get into NFL shape afterward. Among all these players listed here, 2024 might be most important for Green. There are other solutions on the roster at left guard, but if the Texans surprise folks and take an interior offensive lineman with, say, a second round pick, that might be curtains for Kenyon Green.

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