2003 TEXANS
	David Carr started all 16 games for the Texans last season.
	Head coach: Dom Capers (2nd year). 2002 record: 4-12. AFC South finish: 4th. Season opener: Sept. 7 at Dolphins Schedule | Depth chart

A better-than-expected veteran defense kept the expansion Texans competitive in their first season. A new-look offense hopes to return the favor in Year 2.

Gone is the expansion label, but expectations remain modest as the Texans continue to look down the road long-term and realize success won't come overnight. Head coach Dom Capers has worked magic before with an expansion team during its second season, taking the Panthers within one victory of the Super Bowl in 1996. The Panthers stocked a bunch of veterans to get there and haven't posted a winning record since.

The Texans' fortunes rely on second-year quarterback David Carr, a reconstructed offensive line, a potentially electrifying wide receiver corps which features Corey Bradford and first-round selection Andre Johnson and an upgraded backfield. There are as many as six new starters on offense, which should help the Texans climb out of the basement in nearly every offensive category. The defense returns 10 of 11 starters, including Pro Bowl cornerback Aaron Glenn and defensive end Gary Walker.

Offense
Quarterbacks: At 24 years old, Carr portrays everything Texans owner Bob McNair craves. He has poster-boy good looks, is mature well beyond his years, is a devoted family man and, oh by the way, he has a cannon for a right arm. Carr is developing into the kind of on-field leader the Texans want. He proved his durability through an NFL-record 76 sacks and bulked up this offseason. Tony Banks is a proven quarterback but nothing more than an insurance policy. Rookie Dave Ragone beat out journeyman Mike Quinn for the No. 3 job.
Grade: B.

Running backs: Stacey Mack gets his chance to be the featured back after four years as the backup to Fred Taylor in Jacksonville. He provides the Texans with a powerful runner who can run through arm tackles and provide yards after contact, and he'll fill the void as pass catcher out of the backfield left by the retirement of James Allen. Rookie Tony Hollings is an unknown and will be brought along cautiously less than one year removed from reconstructive surgery on his right knee. Jonathan Wells led the team with 529 yards but enters the season not knowing where he fits into the Texans' plans. Moran Norris moved into the starting fullback role after Jarrod Baxter suffered a season-ending foot injury during the preseason. Deon Dyer, who was traded to Houston from Miami for a conditional pick, also should see lots of action at fullback once he fully recovers from a groin injury.
Grade: C.

Receivers: The arrival of Johnson should make every receiver on the field better and free up more pass-catching opportunities for Bradford and Jabar Gaffney. Bradford was on his way to a career season when he was slowed by a foot injury during the second half. Johnson has the size, speed and physical play to create match-up problems. After the top three receivers, the Texans have a mix-and-match group that is mostly inexperienced. After sitting out a season, tight end Billy Miller returned to football and was arguably the most productive player on offense, finishing sixth among tight ends with 51 receptions. Improved blocking during the offseason should make him a dual threat and fit the mold of the conventional tight end the team wants. The team did not get a good look at rookie Bennie Joppru, who missed all but one week of camp with a sore groin. The Texans could carry as many as four tight ends with Jabari Holloway and Rashod Kent, a former All-Big East Conference power forward at Rutgers, possibly working their way onto the roster.
Grade: C-plus.

Offensive linemen: Other than left tackle Chester Pitts and center Steve McKinney, this area underwent a complete facelift during the offseason. There will be three new starters on the line and an entirely new right side. Both bookend tackles the Texans selected in the expansion draft have either retired (Tony Boselli) or switched teams (Ryan Young). Pitts will be tested early and be counted on to help keep the pressure off Carr's blindside. Guard Zach Wiegert and tackle Greg Randall are a major upgrade on the right side. Unlike a year ago, when career backups were turned into full-time starters, depth is not an issue, and barring injuries the Texans will have their five best available linemen on the field. A repeat of last year's sackfest seems highly unlikely.
Grade: B.

Defense
Defensive linemen: Walker has the kind of strength and toughness that forces other teams to head to the other side, but his health is an early-season concern. Walker sprained his left shoulder during the preseason that sidelined him late in camp. He has plenty to play for, as he can become a free agent at the end of the 2003 season, although he would prefer to end his career where it began in Houston. Nose tackle Seth Payne finished third on the team in tackles and is solid against the run. Right end Jerry DeLoach was a surprise starter last season and is a work in progress. Besides end Corey Sears, the depth here may be the thinnest of any area on the team.
Grade: B.

Linebackers: Inside linebackers Jamie Sharper and Jay Foreman are physical up the middle, and left outside linebacker Kailee Wong started to get more pressure on the quarterback late in the season. The only area of concern resides on the right side with the departure of sack leader Jeff Posey and his replacement, free-agent acquisition Charlie Clemons, not separating himself from the competition during the preseason. Clemons must prove he's the player who registered 13½2 sacks with New Orleans two years ago and not the one that managed only half a sack while struggling through an injury-plagued season and switch from outside to middle linebacker last year. Rookie outside linebacker Antwan Peek could find himself sharing playing time by midseason if not earlier.
Grade: B-plus.

Defensive backs: The Texans can thank the Jets' salary-cap problems for helping land starting cornerbacks Glenn and Marcus Coleman. Glenn is instinctive and almost always is around the ball. He was so good at times last year during a Pro Bowl season that opposing receivers said, "it was like he was in the huddle" because he knew where the passes were going. Because so few teams will challenge Glenn, that means Coleman will have to be alert. Strong safety Eric Brown is a hard hitter who should be even better now that his left shoulder has healed. After failing to land a free safety during the offseason, Matt Stevens once again will be the starter. The two starting safeties combined for only three interceptions and seven passes defended last season, among the worst in the NFL.
Grade: B.

Special teams
Placekicker Kris Brown is a veteran who has hit 76 percent of his field-goal attempts in four NFL seasons. He overcame a career-worst 14 missed field goals with the Steelers in 2001 to nail game-winners in two of the Texans' four victories. Punter Chad Stanley is coming off a Pro Bowl-caliber season, tying an NFL single-season record with 114 punts and 36 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Not bad for a punter who was in jeopardy of not even making the roster. The Texans were unhappy with Sean McDermott, so they used a seventh-round selection to take Chance Pearce. Pearce had only one errant snap in 490 chances at Texas A&M. The return-specialist role could switch hands early. J.J. Moses wowed the coaching staff with his speed and shake-and-bake moves. However, the job could belong to rookie Domanick Davis after he returns from a broken right hand close to the season opener.
Grade: A-minus.

Material from Pro Football Weekly.
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