The Houston Texans accomplished a lot this offseason.
Not only did the team bring in a plethora of talented players but the Texans also shredded their reputation as a laughingstock and even built a reputation as one of the most exciting teams to watch following Houston's rise to the top of the AFC South. A lot of that had to do with head coach DeMeco Ryans and the team's young core of C.J. Stroud, Will Anderson Jr., Derek Stingley and Tank Dell.
With great hype comes great expectations, though, and Dell told reporters over the weekend that he understands what's at stake in 2024. The second-year wideout — who exploded onto the scene as a rookie before a late-season injury — believes the Texans have a target on their back with aspirations of the playoffs and Super Bowl this year.
"We ready. We're all excited," Dell said, per KPRC 2's Aaron Wilson. "We know we have a target on our back. We have a lot of things we want to accomplish: Super Bowl, playoffs, things like that. So, we're ready to go to work."
The Texans have a lot on their plate in 2024, though. Houston has one of the toughest schedules in the NFL following a first-place finish in the division a year ago. They also have a hard second half of the season with games against the Cowboys, Lions, Chiefs, Ravens and Dolphins.
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But this is why general manager Nick Caserio went all-in during the offseason. He re-signed Dalton Schultz and Nico Collins, traded for Joe Mixon, traded for Stefon Diggs and signed Danielle Hunter. Those were just his most high-profile moves. Other decisions included adding veterans along the defensive line, drafting players in the secondary and offensive line and restructuring contracts to give the team more financial flexibility.
Houston will have a target on its back because of those moves and Stroud's quick development. But targets can be good motivators for a team looking to advance further than the divisional round in 2024.
