Houston Texans · Franchise era 4 of 5
The full reset: the Houston Texans story
The story in one sentence
The Texans accepted a ground-up rebuild, converted veteran value into draft capital and searched for the leadership structure to use it.
Accumulating picks and clearing the roster
Davis Mills, Brandin Cooks and Jonathan Greenard gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for stroud and ryans arrive together.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2021
What came before
Houston found dynamic quarterback play and won two more divisions before injuries, damaging personnel decisions and off-field crisis ended the core.
- 18TradeMarch 18, 2022
March 18, 2022
The unprecedented trade and contract that sent Deshaun Watson to Cleveland
The Browns made an extraordinary football and financial commitment amid serious off-field allegations; Houston chose the draft capital for a total reset.
To CLE2024PICKround asset
To HOU20221STround asset20231STround asset+3 assetsDeshaun Watson to ClevelandCLE receives Deshaun Watson, 2024 sixth-round pickHOU receives 2022 1st-round pick, 2023 1st-round pick, 2024 1st-round pick + 2 more7 original assets · 1 outcomes tracedOpen trade → After 2022
What came next
Ryans restored defensive purpose while Stroud's record-setting rookie season delivered a division title and the franchise's first new foundation in years.
The core