Houston, Texas, United States
Last season was a frustrating year for Houston Texans wide receiver DeVier Posey. The former Ohio State Buckeye, taken in the third round of the 2012 draft, caught only six passes for 87 yards in his rookie season. Then to add insult to injury, or maybe the other way around, Posey suffered a ruptured Achilles in the team’s final game against the New England Patriots in January.
Now on the road to recovery, Posey is likely to start the 2013 season on the PUP list. While by all accounts his rehab is going well, it will still be the middle of the year before Posey is expected to be able to contribute to the Texans offense.
But when he does come back, the time off could end up being a blessing in disguise for the young receiver. Posey has talent, that’s why Houston used a third round pick to grab him just one year ago, and a year watching from the sidelines can give him the perspective he needs to be a successful professional player.
Sometimes a young player needs to remove himself from the playing field and see things from a coach’s viewpoint before he can see the strategy in the game that those coaches are trying to teach him.
When he does get back to full strength this fall he will have plenty of opportunities to show what he can do. The Texans’ number one receiver spot is all locked up with perennial pro bowler Andre Johnson, but the number two job is up for grabs. Houston drafted DeAndre Hopkins from Clemson this year to take a run at the spot, but if he hasn’t cemented himself in the role by the time he comes back, the door will be wide open for Posey to grab it.
So far things haven’t gone well in the NFL for Posey. He had a disappointing rookie year and suffered a setback with his Achilles injury. But if he can come back at full strength this year with a better understanding of the game, the opportunity will be there for him to force his way into the regular receiver rotation for the Texans.
Ben Sullivan is an NFL writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bensullivan52, “Like” him on Facebook and add him to your network on Google.
