The Houston Texans are doing everything they can to prop up C.J. Stroud in 2024. They re-signed tight end Dalton Schultz, drafted fellow tight end Cade Stover, traded for wide receiver Stefon Diggs, re-signed Nico Collins, and traded for running back Joe Mixon. Every move was to bolster Stroud and give him the best supporting cast possible.
This doesn’t even include the smaller moves, like trading for Ben Skowronek or re-signing Noah Brown. The team is loaded, so it’s a rather odd move for them to sign yet another offensive weapon, this time in former Detroit Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus. The move to sign Cephus comes as a bit of a surprising one, as the Texans’ receiver room is already bursting at the seams.
The Texans already have Diggs, Collins, Skowronek, and Brown. We haven’t even mentioned Tank Dell, Robert Woods, John Metchie III, Xavier Hutchinson, Johnny Johnson III, or Steven Sims. The Texans can likely keep six wide receivers, making Cephus’ chance of making the team very unlikely.
His career is more known for being suspended for gambling than for his play. Play that has, since his rookie year, declined in productivity. He’s somewhat big, at 6’1, 200 lbs, but he isn’t exactly a burner with just a 4.6 40-yard dash. He’s also not exactly a prized prospect, lasting until the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
There’s next to no chance he plays over Diggs, Collins, Dell, or Brown. Considering the team traded draft capital for Skowronek, it’s fair to say he’s safe. Beyond him, Metchie has an upside and will likely get the last spot on the team. It’s fair to say the team would rather keep the veteran Woods over Cephus. It’s also fair to say that they’d rather keep the player they drafted, Hutchinson, over Cephus.
It’s not likely that Cephus makes the team but the Texans may be eye-balling him for the practice squad, and will evaluate him accordingly. However, anyone who thinks he’s getting a bigger role on the team than a spot on the practice squad should take a step back and realize just how loaded this receiver room is.
