The Houston Texans are committing to youth in the backfield. According to a report from ESPN, Houston made veteran running back Marlon Mack part of its final cuts to get down to a 53-man roster on Tuesday afternoon. However, he is expected to sign with the team's practice squad, per Adam Schefter.
Mack's release clears the way for rookie Dameon Pierce to operate as the lead back this season. Pierce will still likely share time in at least some fashion with the veteran Rex Burkhead, but he should have a clear hold on the majority of the carries.
Pierce was a fourth-round pick out of the University of Florida, where he split carries with Malik Davis -- an undrafted free agent who was waived on Tuesday by the Cowboys. Pierce totaled 1,806 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground in four seasons for the Gators, adding 45 catches for 422 yards and five additional scores. His senior season was his best, with Pierce scoring 13 times on 100 carries and finding the end zone three times on his 19 receptions.
The Texans were the NFL's least efficient rushing team in the NFL last year, according to Football Outsiders' DVOA, and clearly have hope that Pierce and first-round pick Kenyon Green can help them take a step forward in that department. They still have a long way to go before they build a league-average offense, let alone a top-flight one, but having a running back on a rookie deal for the next few years should provide a nice value boost.
