Houston filled a handful of holes on their roster, but still are weak at some key positions.
The Houston Texans were very active in the first wave of free agency, making a handful of trades and adding players like Christian Kirk and CJ Gardner-Johnson.
Houston filled a handful of holes on their roster, but still are weak at some key positions.
With wide receiver still a question behind Kirk and Nico Collins, the Texans could’ve added another player there. On the defensive end, adding Gardner-Johnson was a huge get for the team, but there’s still some improvement in the secondary. Let’s take a look at a few mistakes they made through free agency.
Trading Laremy Tunsil
The Texans traded away their best offensive lineman after an abysmal year from the offensive line, which was already an odd move. Which didn’t seem to be a big deal until the depth chart showed no plan on the interior offensive line.
Keeping Tunsil allowed them to kick Tytus Howard inside, now they’re left with new acquisitions Ed Ingram and Laken Tomlinson, and even more questions about the position than they had at the end of the season. Neither Ingram nor Tomlinson are great options, and they’re now left with drafting multiple players at that position this year.
Not adding a replacement for Tank Dell
One of the Texans biggest issues last season was not having enough depth at the receiver position. The Texans seem to be putting their trust in their own guys like John Metchie and Xavier Hutchinson, who combined, totaled 371 yards and one touchdown.
Outside of Kirk, the Texans added Braxton Berrios and Justin Watson, and neither of them moved the needle enough. The Texans need to come away from this off-season with a new starter next to Collins and Kirk and have thus far failed to do so. If they can find a way to land one of the top free agents left, they’ll be able to focus more on the pass protection for CJ Stroud through the draft.
Missing out on Jonathan Allen
The Texans' defensive tackles aren’t the best, with Tim Settle Jr and Sheldon Rankins back for his second stint with the team. Allen, who was released by the Washington Commanders, signed a three-year, $51 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings. Coming off of an injury-plagued season, his numbers weren’t the best. However, at 30 years old, Allen can still produce at a high level.
If Houston was able to pair him with Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter on the edges, Houston’s defensive line would’ve been complete. Rankins and Settle are a solid duo inside, but the Texans are still missing a playmaker there.
