DeMeco Ryans: Joe Mixon has been consistent, I'm not thinking about a drop-off
There's been much conversation about the value of running backs in the NFL in recent years and this offseason has seen a lot of it as players like Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, and Josh Jacobs have changed teams as free agents.
Joe Mixon was not a free agent, but he made a move from Cincinnati to Houston via a trade. The compensation was a seventh-round pick, but that low price had more to do with the fact that the Bengals were likely to release Mixon rather than how much the Texans value him. The team gave Mixon a three-year, $27 million contract extension and head coach DeMeco Ryans said on Monday that there's no concern about the nearly 28-year-old back's production taking a dip.
"So I'm not thinking about a drop-off," Ryans said, via DJ Bien-Amie of ESPN.com. "I'm thinking about the positives and the things that [Mixon has] done in his career. He's been consistent throughout his entire career — a guy who can move the chains for you, a guy who can open up the passing game with his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. He just opens up the things that we can do offensively."
Mixon played in every game last season and posted four yards per carry, which is in line with his career average. He did that despite playing without Joe Burrow for the final seven weeks and the Texans likely hope that having C.J. Stroud under center helps keep Mixon rolling as he starts life with his new team.
