The Houston Texans have been active this offseason and could continue to retool their roster. 25-year-old safety Jalen Pitre could be the next Texan on the move in a trade.
The Texans upgraded their safety position by acquiring C.J. Gardner-Johnson and a 2026 sixth-round pick from the Philadelphia Eagles for offensive lineman Kenyon Green and a 2026 fifth-round pick.
Houston's deal upgrades their secondary as they also have second-year safety Calen Bullock.
Bullock had an impressive rookie season, finishing with 54 tackles, five interceptions, and 11 passes defended.
In a proposed trade, they suggest to have Gardner-Johnson and Bullock as their starting safeties and move Pitre and a mid-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for a second-round pick.
This trade would hinge on the Texans' confidence in Bullock, as Pitre has been a critical piece for their defense.
Pitre finished fifth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in his rookie campaign and has been one of their best defensive players in his first three seasons.
In 12 games in the 2024-25 season, Pitre had 65 tackles, a forced fumble, an interception, and two quarterback hits.
Trading him away would be a difficult decision, but as he enters the final year of his rookie contract, if they're not confident in reaching a long-term extension, maximizing his value with a trade makes sense.
Pitre remains one of the Texans' best defensive players, and if they decide to hold onto him, they will have one of the best safety trios in the NFL. However, this proposed deal would give Houston another high-draft pick, allowing them to improve a bigger position of need.
Texans' Free Agency Decision Could Have Major Upside
The Houston Texans didn't waste any time changing up their roster from the group of last season entering this offseason, making multiple adjustments on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
However, while Houston did ship in and ship out a considerable amount of contributors from the 2024 campaign, a few managed to stay aboard despite their pending free agent status –– one of those names being defensive end Derek Barnett, who landed onboard the Texans' roster in the middle of 2023 after being cut from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Barnett stayed along with the Texans' roster for next season, signing a one-year, $4 million deal in hopes to keep building onto a second full year in Houston, and it might be a fit that pays off for both sides in the end.
Pro Football Focus analyst Ben Cooper called the move Houston's highest upside free agency signing of their offseason so far, crediting the Texans brass for their low-risk, high-reward decision.
"The Texans’ offseason vision is clear, if puzzling: Construct a new offensive line and continue to utilize one-year contracts," Cooper wrote. "Most of the team’s free-agency additions are locked in only for 2025, and that includes Derek Barnett, who has been with the team since the middle of the 2023 season. Barnett’s 13.8% pass-rush win rate since he joined Houston is a top-35 mark among edge defenders (from Week 13 of 2023 through 2024), and his 73.9 PFF run-defense grade in 2024 alone was the 16th-ranked mark at the position. The Texans should continue to get great value out of the 28-year-old in his part-time role."
Barnett is far from a driving force in this dominant Texans' defensive front, one that's spearheaded by the skillsets of elite playmakers like Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, but as a rotational rusher that can factor in on a limited, yet impactful basis, $4 million is a great deal to make in order to retain his services.
The Texans' veteran finished last season with five sacks, 26 combined tackles, and two forced turnovers, and at just 28 years old, has all of the opportunity at hand to replicate that production for 2025.
Even if he doesn't, the Texans brass has carefully constructed their cap moves this offseason to span one season, having the ability to cut ties without any hangups. Yet, after a nice season in the books from 2024, Houston clearly has confidence in his skillset for at least one more year. Time will tell if that can come to fruition.
