A week ago, D'Onta Foreman was expected to push Lamar Miller for the lead running back job for the Texans. Now he's looking for a new place to play.
On Sunday morning, the Houston Chronicle reported the Texans waived the third-year running back because of poor work habits and continuing tardiness issues to team meetings.
Earlier reports out of Texans camp suggested Foreman was "light years" ahead of where he was after suffering a serious Achilles injury in 2017. Foreman allegedly has a lot of explosiveness in his step and ran hard, which was his calling card at the University of Texas. None of that was good enough to look past his attitude, apparently.
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The release leaves Miller comfortably in the primary running back role for the Texans, where he's been for the past three seasons. Solid but not spectacular, Miller has squeezed out back-to-back-to-back 1,100-plus total-yard and six-total-touchdown seasons. However, he's notched 10-plus non-PPR Fantasy points in just 20 of his 44 games with the Texans and 15-plus in PPR in just 12 of 44.
At 28 years old and over 1,600 career touches, Miller just doesn't measure up as anything more than a mediocre No. 2 Fantasy running back candidate. You might be more inclined to take him in Round 6 if you skip running backs early on Draft Day.
The lack of noteworthy upside is one reason not to move Miller up the Fantasy ranks. The Texans' desire to complement him with another running back is another.
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In late July, the Chronicle shared a training camp report that Josh Ferguson was gaining steam as the team's third running back behind Miller and Foreman. Coach Bill O'Brien wanted a back who could play in a passing downs role like Kevin Faulk or Danny Woodhead, and with 168 career receptions in college, he could fit that role.
Ferguson is one of several mostly-unknowns on the depth chart behind Miller. We're going to have to watch this preseason to see how Buddy Howell, Taiwan Jones, Karan Higdon and Damarea Crockett fare. But if you're impatient and drafting soon, Ferguson works as a very, very late-round PPR pick at this point. Just don't be surprised if the Texans unearth another runner before Week 1.
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Foreman should garner attention on waivers. He's 23 years old and more than 16 months removed from his torn Achilles. He runs hard and has underrated receiving skills. Imagine what his upside could be in ...
- Tampa Bay, where he could compete for the starting job
- Each of the Texans' AFC South rivals as a power-running backup
- Dallas, just in case Ezekiel Elliott's holdout lasts a long time
That's why he's still worth drafting and stashing in Round 12-plus just to see what the next step in his career is.
