The Houston Texans may use Alfred Blue, Chris Polk and Jonathan Grimes in a rotation after the injury to Arian Foster and fantasy owners should handcuff those players together and this comes as Pierre Thomas, Ray Rice, Steven Jackson and Felix Jones could be free agent options if the Texans want to add another running back.
The Texans lost Foster to a groin injury and there is a chance he could miss half of the season depending on how the Texans tackle the situation. Foster could be placed on the IR list with designation to return and that would keep him out for a while, but the team also could try and see if Foster can recover faster than that, but it would cost a roster spot. According to Pro Football Talk, head coach Bill O'Brien is confident in his running backs and there is a good chance that the team sticks with Alfred Blue as the starter.
Blue came in last season as a rookie and stepped up with Foster injured for a few games and he ended up with a solid 528 yards on 169 carries. Blue was able to stay healthy for all 16 games and now that Foster is out, he will be relied on even more. The Texans planned on using Foster as a work horse, as they are still working to decide on who will be the starting quarterback. O'Brien is confident in his options with Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer, but neither of those players will confuses anyone thinking they will be Aaron Rodgers.
The team has DeAndre Hopkins and added Cecil Shorts and Jaelen Strong this offseason, but the running game will still be very important for the team. Blue likely will be the starter and he will split time with Polk and Grimes, while rookie Kenny Hilliard is also in the mix. Foster is one of the best backs in the league at catching the football out of the backfield and that is one area that the three backups will have to step up in. Blue had 15 catches last season, while Polk comes in with some experience after playing three years with the Eagles.
Foster missed three games last season and still managed to rush for 1246 yards and now the team is going to have to find a way to make up for that lost production. According to the Houston Chronicle, the Texans are debating about putting Foster on the IR and the team also is hoping that Foster could be out for six weeks instead of a couple months. The team met with Pierre Thomas, but he rejected a minimum deal offer, while reports have Ray Rice as a potential option, but nothing is close to happening now.
Thomas actually could be a nice fit for the Texans even if he splits time with Blue or Polk, as he is an adept rusher and a strong receiver out of the backfield. Thomas put up career low numbers rushing last season, but he still managed 45 catches and that came on year after he set career highs with 77 catches for 513 yards for the Saints. The Houston Chronicle reports that Thomas passed on a deal, but that he could remain an option down the road.
