The Houston Texans activated receiver Isaiah Coulter from injured reserve on Wednesday.
Though the Texans have a vacancy for now with guard Max Scharping on the COVID reserve, when Scharping returns, the Texans will have to make room elsewhere on the roster the active roster to keep both Coulter and Scharping.
With Coulter on the active roster, the Texans have seven receivers.
If the Texans are looking to trade either Will Fuller or Randall Cobb at the Nov. 3 deadline, Coulter wouldn’t immediately take their place in the starting lineup. The club might move Kenny Stills into whichever vacancy is available and then Coulter would work his way up from the bottom of the roster into the lower part of the game day roster.
According to interim coach Romeo Crennel, Coulter has made progress during his 21-day window prior to his full activation from the injured reserve.
“I think he’s made progress as far as catching the ball,” Crennel told reporters on Oct. 21. “He’s got frame and he’s got pretty good hands. I think that we’re going to have to see how he does with route running and things like that. If that improves and comes along, then there’s a possibility he could get activated.”
The risk in going with Coulter is he is unlike any other rookie. In addition to being a fifth-round pick from a small school, Rhode Island, Coulter has not had the benefit of playing any snaps whatsoever in a game this season. Houston would really be taking a ding at one of the roster’s strongest spots if they traded a top tier receiver and went with Coulter.
Given the Texans are 1-6 and the Tennessee Titans (5-1) and Indianapolis Colts (4-2) are running away with the division, Houston may need to be sellers at the trade deadline given they will lack two picks in the top-100 of next year’s draft. If the Texans are sellers at the trade deadline, it could mean more action for Coulter.
