While the Houston Texans as a whole took a step forward during the 2023 season, running back Dameon Pierce had a year to forget. Entering the season as the starter, the former fourth-round pick finished the season with just 416 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 145 attempts before ceding starting duties to Devin Singletary midway through the season. Singletary may be gone, but with veteran Joe Mixon firmly entrenched as the starter, Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler believes the team could trade Dameon Pierce, and that Houston should find interest in the veteran.
While Dameon Pierce had a rough 2023, you need only look at his 2022 tape to see why teams might want to trade for him. Under then-head coach Lovie Smith, Pierce recorded 939 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 220 attempts while playing on a team with a mediocre offensive line and no real passing threat. His hard-nosed, physical style of running doesn’t make sense for DeMeco Ryans, but it should be a perfect fit with the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers.
Ravens, Chargers Could Trade For Dameon Pierce
The cash-strapped Baltimore Ravens lost several key players in free agency but made sure to set some cash aside for one big addition. Following a remarkable career with the Tennessee Titans, running back Derrick Henry will take his talents to one of the league’s top teams. However, if any team should know the value of running back depth, it’s Baltimore. The Ravens spent the past few seasons with a walking infirmary in the backfield, and while Henry seems invincible, a Dameon Pierce trade could go a long way in shoring up the backfield if age finally catches up to the four-time Pro Bowler.
Dameon Pierce is nowhere near as good as Derrick Henry, but the trade candidate has a similar style of play. Both players excel as north-south, physical runners, making Pierce a natural fit for the backup role. With Keaton Mitchell working his way back from injury, somebody needs to step up as the RB2 in this backfield. Pierce is an ideal fit for the role and should be more efficient with a better offensive line and Lamar Jackson’s mobility there to distract opposing defenses.
Running the Football
Nobody believes in the power of the run game quite like Jim Harbaugh. Throughout his professional and collegiate career, the head coach has always operated a run-first offense that used play action to set up the passing game. The same will happen in 2024 with the Chargers, but he could use some better running backs. Gus Edwards is nothing special, while J.K. Dobbins is coming back from an Achilles injury which, historically, running backs don’t come back from. If the Chargers want to improve their run game, they should consider a Dameon Pierce trade.
Pierce is a no-nonsense runner whose style of play perfectly meshes with what Harbaugh wants to do. With another set of legs to punish the opposing front seven, Harbaugh might be able to win games in spite of his underwhelming cast of wide receivers and tight ends.
Main Photo: Thomas Shea – USA Today Sports
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