STATE OF THE FRANCHISE

O'Brien actually stepped into a pretty good situation in terms of personnel. He had impact players on both sides of the ball and oversaw a growth season on the part of second-year wideout DeAndre Hopkins. The strategy on offense was to put the ball in the hands of running back Arian Foster and avoid the need for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to win games with his arm. On the other side of the ball, the Texans led the NFL in turnovers with 34 and were seventh overall in points allowed, led by Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt.

Currently, the main unresolved issues revolve around the quarterback and wide receiver positions. Fitzpatrick is gone and the Texans will have a competition between the re-signed Ryan Mallett and free agent Brian Hoyer. Houston also parted ways with Andre Johnson, the franchise's leader in every significant receiving category. At 33, Johnson is on the backside of his career and at a stage where his production can be replaced by cheaper contracts. To that end, Houston added veterans Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts, while also drafting wideouts in the third and fifth rounds of the draft.

Defensively, the Texans added bodies at every level, signing defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and safety Rahim Moore, while expending early draft picks on cornerback Kevin Johnson and linebacker Benardrick McKinney. Linebacker has been a need the last few seasons. On the inside, Brian Cushing is a battler, but a battler who is coming off three offseason surgeries. Meanwhile, there hasn't been a reliable partner for Cushing on the inside since DeMeco Ryans left town. Houston will line up two new safeties after releasing D.J. Swearinger. Moore is expected to step right in as a starter at one spot, and former New York Giant Stevie Brown is the favorite to fill the other. Johnson, who has the fast feet to cover both in the slot and outside, will push for playing time immediately at the cornerback position.

O'Brien isn't done reshaping the roster in his vision. He still needs to find the long-term solution at quarterback and could stand to improve the tight end position. But this is a team in a weak division that could make a run at the Colts.

OFFSEASON MOVES

Key Acquisitions

Cecil Shorts – WR, Jaguars
The development of young wideouts in Jacksonville made him expendable.

Jaelen Strong – WR, Arizona State (ROUND 3, 70th Overall)
An opportunity is there for the third-rounder, but he faces veteran competition.

Nate Washington – WR, Titans
Gets out of a rebuilding situation to compete for work with a playoff contender.

Vince Wilfork – DT Patriots
Remains an asset as a run defender and should step right into the team's starting nose tackle spot.

Key Losses

Ryan Fitzpatrick – QB, Jets
His departure sets the stage for Hoyer and Ryan Mallett to compete for the team's starting QB assignment.

D.J. Swearinger – S, Buccaneers
Brought a lot of swagger but not much of a team-first attitude.

TEAM NOTES

OPPORTUNITIES AT WIDEOUT
Andre Johnson had been through it all as a Texan. But the time comes for all players and organizations to realize when it's appropriate for both to move on. That said, Johnson's departure leaves a gaping hole at wideout. DeAndre Hopkins replaced Johnson as the team's No. 1, but there's room for more pass-catchers. The top candidates are former Jaguar Cecil Shorts and former Titan Nate Washington, but don't count out third-rounder Jaelen Strong. For whatever reason, Strong, considered by some a first-round talent, fell to 70th overall in the draft. There's room for two of those players to earn targets, though the Texans, a team with visions of the postseason, will likely lean toward one of the veterans to start opposite Hopkins, at least initially.

IS THIS THE YEAR THAT FOSTER LOSES IT?
For two seasons now, we've openly wondered if Arian Foster's workload would finally come crashing down on him. In three seasons between 2010 and 2012, Foster played in 45 of 48 games and averaged 26 touches (rushing attempts and passing targets) per game. With the average career length of an NFL running back at 2.57 years, Foster's back injury in 2013 (which limited him to eight games) was predestined. But a funny thing happened in 2014. Foster averaged 24 touches per game, surpassed 100 rushing yards in seven of 13 games played, while scoring a team-high 13 touchdowns. There's a lot of mileage on Foster, but he's the key to Houston's success. If this is the year he finally loses it, Alfred Blue is the next man up, with Chris Polk, Jonathan Grimes and rookie Kenny Hilliard also on hand.

VALUE METER

Declining: The consensus was that head coach Bill O'Brien liked to use the tight end position in his offense, but Garrett Graham was a non-factor all season. Expect more of the same in 2015.

Sleeper:Randy Bullock survived a poor rookie season and training-camp competition to rank ninth in scoring, while making 4 of 5 from beyond the 50.

Supersleeper: O'Brien likes Kenny Hilliard's size and sees him as a first- and second-down back. Does that translate to red-zone usage?

IDP WATCH

Kareem Jackson – CB
Re-signing him was the team's top priority in the offseason.

Whitney Mercilus – LB
Was a forgotten man when Jadeveon Clowney was drafted but earned a contract extension.