The Houston Texans were dealt a staggering blow on Tuesday afternoon, when news broke that star running back Arian Foster suffered a “severe” groin injury. What initially seemed to be normal training camp news quickly turned into a legit problem for the franchise, as the team learned that Foster’s groin injury was so serious that it would require surgery.
No one knows just yet how long Foster will be out, but all early signs point to the 29-year old rusher beginning 2015 on the designated for return/injured reserve list. That means the Texans are hopefuly they’ll get their best offensive weapon back at some point this season, but not until after week 10 at the earliest. With just Alfred Blue and a mediocre stable of running backs, Houston is likely going to be looking elsewhere for some help in their offensive backfield.
Luckily there are a few solid names out on the open market the Texans could consider. Let’s break down the top five running backs that could help the Texans:
Chris Johnson
Johnson has fizzled out with the Titans and Jets in each of the past two years, but even at 30 years old there are some NFL teams that have to be willing to kick the tires. It usually takes a big injury to force the hand, but Arian Foster going down just might do the trick. Johnson isn’t the best inside runner and his effort is often brought into question, but he’s a solid receiving back and still has home run hitting speed. He may be near the end, but if the burst is there the Texans may give him a look.
Ray Rice
Rice obviously is still bogged down by his off field antics stemming from a year ago and it’s entirely possible no NFL team wants to brave the PR storm signing him would bring on. It’s also possible that at 28 years old and having been away from the league for a year, that he no longer has anything to offer. The last we saw of Rice, he was trying to work his way back from a very disappointing 2013 season that saw him play at less than 100% and rush for an ugly 3.1 yards per carry average. Unless Rice is a total class act AND can prove he’s a lot better than his most recent season’s game tape suggests, he may not be the answer for the Texans – or anyone.
That all being said, the word on Rice isn’t all bad and he’s hungry to get back into the league and prove he still has what it takes. On the surface, it’d be a somewhat nice story to see Rice get another chance somewhere, while his skill-set certainly matches up well with Foster’s. If Rice is ever going to get a real shot with anyone and make a successful comeback, a trip to Houston certainly would make some sense.
Pierre Thomas
Thomas isn’t the biggest name out there, but neither was Arian Foster when he signed on with the Texans as an undrafted free agent several years ago. Okay, so it’s totally different, but Pierre Thomas does share a very similar football uniform and skill-set. It’s doubtful whoever the Texans bring in will be regarded as a total savior for the running back position, so whoever it is is mostly going to be a guy that can simply do everything a feature back can do and then be used mostly in that role. Thomas is especially gifted when it comes to catching passes out of the backfield and while he wouldn’t be used on all three downs as a regular starter, he could surely lighten the load of Alfred Blue and the other Houston running backs.
Thomas is not an answer to replace Foster, but he’d be a solid part of a collective answer. It’s a step to the side instead of forward or backward, but with the team bringing him in for a visit, it’s clear the team considers him a potentially solid addition.
Ahmad Bradshaw
Bradshaw is another injury risk, so grabbing him to help replace Foster is almost laughable. That being said, Bradshaw doesn’t have a ton of mileage on his legs and was very efficient and productive as recently as last year. He’s always had injury woes, but is extremely versatile and can produce from anywhere on the field. Like Pierre Thomas, he’s not really a feature back but he’d be a great body to toss in to help Blue and co.
Knowshon Moreno
Speaking of injury risks, Moreno tore his knee up yet again last year and may seriously be on his last leg. If healthy, though, he could still possibly be a lead back and at worst can help out in a committee. Moreno is a very versatile back who can do it all or slide in and be part of a rotation. He was fantastic in 2013 with the Broncos and looked good again last year in Miami before succumbing to another knee injury. He’s high risk, but he’s a do-it-all guy that won’t cost much.
Got another running back in mind to help replaced Arian Foster? Let us hear about him in the comments below!
