The progress Texans running back D'Onta Foreman has made this offseason has been remarkable.

Foreman ended last season with an uncertain future caused by his length recovery from a torn Achilles suffered as a rookie. A sluggish second NFL season and questions about his conditioning and dedication prompted questions about his future with the organization.

Now, Foreman has erased a lot of doubt and the former third-round draft pick is back in the Texans' good graces after getting healthy and in the best shape of his life this spring and summer.

He's down to 230 pounds.

The Texas City native is visibly leaner, more explosive and had an outstanding set of spring practices at organized team activities and minicamps.

A lot is now expected from the former University of Texas consensus All-American And Doak Walker award winner

"He's light-years ahead of where he was last year at this time, coming off the injury and everything," Texans running backs coach Danny Barrett said. "I still think he's continuing to work hard. I think he's had a good offseason to date. The time away from here, I thought was well spent for himself. Getting ready to go physically, and I think mentally, right now, is what I look at is each and every day.

"Being consistent mentally as far as being locked in to what we're trying to do and improve on the little things and trying to get back to that form in which we saw prior to me coming into here, which was the 2017 season, his first year."

When Foreman returned against the Philadelphia Eagles after being activated rom the physically unable to perform list, he caught a touchdown pass. However, he rushed for minus-one yards on seven carries. Foreman rushed for 327 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie before tearing his Achilles.

Foreman has changed the direction of his career this spring as the primary backup to Pro Bowl alternate Lamar Miller.

"I've seen good progress, I think he's had a very good offseason," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said.. "He's worked very hard. Sometimes, it takes time, especially when you're injured your rookie year wth a significant injury. You have something your'e dealing with like he did with the Achilles, it takes a while to come back from that.

"A young player getting used to pro football and then you have that. I think he's had a really good time away from us when he wasn't with us and that has parlayed into a good spring. I talked to D'Onta every day about being consistent and he's really done a good job this spring."

Foreman is using all of the doubts that have surrounded him since his injury and past conditioning issues as motivational fuel.

"It definitely lit a fire under me,"Foreman said"I feel like people started to count me out and were saying what I couldn't do coming back, but I'm a very strong-minded person.

"I've been through a lot in my life. This is something I feel like I can overcome and I feel like I have overcame it. I'm ready to put it out there on the field and show people I'm still here."

The Texans envision Foreman operating as more of a receiving threat this fall, but primarily as a running threat working in tandem with Miller.

"As a coach, it's obviously good because you don't have to change up what you're doing," Barrett said. "You have an experienced back and you have a young back. They can feed off of each other. I just think D'Onta – again, being the younger back, having a year off has kind of helped his body but also given him a hunger to get back out there.

"So, I think they'll complement each other well. We don't have to change up what we're doing. They both can catch out of the backfield as well."