Houston tight ends were a productive bunch in 2016, but were invisible in 2017, largely due to concussion injuries to Griffin and the now-retired C.J. Fiedorowicz. Griffin, who was coming off a 50-catch season in 2016, was limited to seven games and 13 receptions after suffering two concussions. Those injuries offered an opportunity to third-stringer Stephen Anderson, but we quickly learned the undersized and athletic tight end from Cal wasn't much of a blocker and his playing time fell sharply. Entering 2018, the Texans are likely to start Griffin, however, he's missed 16 games over the last three seasons and he'll be pushed by two tight ends drafted in 2018: Jordan Akins in the third round and Jordan Thomas in the sixth.

The Texans re-upped Griffin for another three years at the beginning of the free-agency period, which alerted us that the passing attack in 2017 may pay as much attention to the tight ends as it did in 2016. Griffin and starter C.J. Fiedorowicz were a revelation last season, combining to catch 104 passes on 164 targets. The usage of the tight ends was far and away more than they had been used during the first two seasons under head coach Bill O'Brien. While the coach would prefer to have a quarterback who could consistently get the ball downfield to the dynamic DeAndre Hopkins or speedy Will Fuller, he doesn't have that type of quarterback yet. Whether Deshaun Watson or Tom Savage is under center, Houston's tight ends will be their best friends.

A sprained MCL in Week 1 cost Ryan the next seven games. He returned Week 10 but averaged fewer than four targets a game. Still, it was enough to lead the team's TE in catches. At 6-6, 254, it's perhaps concerning he garnered only three red-zone looks, just one inside the 10 (which he converted). Griffin is the pass-catching TE to C.J. Fiedorowicz's blocking role, but targets might be difficult to come by this season. Tight end has not figured prominently into coach Bill O'Brien's Houston offenses, and, this year, untested QB Brock Osweiler is at the helm. Then there's target-hog DeAndre Hopkins and first-round pick WR Will Fuller. Health, though, is the biggest factor. Griffin missed OTAs with an Achilles injury. He's expected to be healthy for camp, but he has enough working against him without an injury to worry about.

Griffin is the second tight end on the depth chart behind Garrett Graham. He's had a slow start to training camp due to an undisclosed injury, so there hasn't been much to observe. When healthy, he's a reliable pass-catching tight end but his position was not targeted much in head coach Bill O'Brien's first season.

With Owen Daniels' departure to Baltimore, Griffin moves up in Houston's tight-end pecking order. Though Garrett Graham is likely the most reliable receiving tight-end option for the Texans, Griffin proved that he was a capable pass catcher when both Daniels and Graham were sidelined at times last year. Houston drafted C.J. Fiedorowicz, widely considered the best blocking tight end in this year's draft, in the third round, but with new coach Bill O'Brien's penchant for two-TE sets, Griffin could still provide decent production, particularly in the red zone given his 6-6, 250 frame.

Griffin, a sixth-round draft pick in 2013 out of Connecticut, is part of the solution to replace James Casey. The Texans currently have Owen Daniels and Garrett Graham heading the depth chart at the tight end, but they drafted Griffin, signed free agent Adam Schiltz and already have Phillip Supernaw on the roster. Griffin was a productive receiver at Connecticut and, at this point, is considered more of a receiving tight end than a blocking one. If he can develop his run-blocking technique, he'll have a chance to make the roster.