The Houston Texans got back another receiver Saturday as receiver DeAndre Carter returned from the physically unable to perform list.
The former Sacramento State product was thankful to return and start making his claim amid a competitive receiving corps that features determined veterans in Vyncint Smith, Chad Hansen, Jester Weah, and Steven Mitchell and hungry undrafted free agents in Tyron Johnson, Stephen Louis, Floyd Allen, and Johnnie Dixon.
“Every year, every day you have to fight to make the team,” Carter said. “We got a stocked receiver group. It’s going to be hard to make this roster. I’ve got to go out and put my best foot forward every day like everybody else.”
Carter caught 20 passes for 195 yards for Houston in 2018 along with fielding 16 punts for 146 yards and returning nine kickoffs for 221 yards.
The 5-8, 190-pound receiver is confident his skill set fits into the Texans’ offensive scheme.
“I think it fits very well,” Carter said. “I think that’s why I was able to come in and contribute the way I was. We got a great system here, a great quarterback. Coach [Tim] Kelly and coach [Bill] O’Brien do a great job with the offense. The scheme is great and I think it fits my skill set very well.”
Partly why it fits in well is because Carter is an insurance policy in case slot receiver Keke Coutee isn’t as durable as hoped. In 2018, Coutee missed 10 regular season games with chronic hamstring problems, and Carter stepped in for seven of those games, starting in three, and filled in adequately for Houston.
Still, Carter knows he is one of 12 receivers on the roster, and realistically one of nine battling for a spot on the 53-man roster. Carter has to daily battle for a roster spot. While the nature of sports is competition, according to Carter, pro sports is different than the collegiate level in terms of daily competition.
Said Carter: “It’s not really the same level. You’re going to be there four years regardless. But here you have to bring that A-game every day. You follow my position, undrafted and everything like that, can’t have too many bad days.”
As Carter now has the chance to practice and play for Houston, he can’t afford to have any more missed days, let alone bad days, as he competes for a spot on the final roster.
