The Houston Texans are in the top-10 in available salary-cap space for 2020. Here are five free agents they should be targeting.
The Houston Texans had their opportunity to reach their first AFC Championship game in franchise history a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, they blew a 24-point lead on the road to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional round. Houston should have a good team again next year but will need to make a few big moves in free agency to contend in a competitive AFC South.
The Texans have roughly $56.5 million in available cap space heading into this offseason. With the franchise trading away their first-round pick in 2020 to the Miami Dolphins for offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, it is increasingly imperative for Houston to hit on a few marquee free-agent signings this spring.
Fortunately for the Texans, they will have some big numbers coming off the books, as well as having a franchise quarterback in Deshaun Watson to help them win games for the better part of this next decade. Let’s not forget that Texas doesn’t have a state income tax, which can be very enticing to prospective free agents.
Without further ado, here are five players the Texans should try to target in free agency. Admittedly, some of these players who require home-run cuts to land in Houston, but the Texans have to do something to make some noise this offseason. That way, they can stay relevant in an AFC that is growing stronger by the season. Here’s who Houston should pursue this offseason.
5
Derrick Henry
RB Tennessee Titans
This is a pipe dream here, but let’s talk this one out. Would the Texans love signing a bell-cow back like Derrick Henry to pair with Watson for the next decade? Absolutely. Prying Henry away from the AFC South rival Tennessee Titans would be a move that would make the Texans easily the best team in the division and would force a complete offensive restructuring in Nashville.
Houston will need to address the running back position this offseason, as both Lamar Miller and Carlos Hyde will be hitting free agency. They may still have Duke Johnson, but he’s not the bell-cow Houston will need to get to the NFL‘s final four. More importantly, it’s not a guarantee that Henry will be back with the Titans on a second contract. He’s about to make bank this spring.
Tennessee could use the franchise tag on Henry, which will cost the Titans roughly $10.4 million for his services. That’s more than a fair price for the Titans, but they still have to address the quarterback position this spring, too. We can expect their former No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota to walk in free agency. How much are the Titans willing to play Ryan Tannehill to come back?
Ultimately, it would be shocking to see Henry play his fifth NFL season out of the University of Alabama for any team not named the Titans. They’ll want to bring him back and he probably wants to stay with Tennessee. However, no team stands to gain more by signing him than Houston. The Texans would become a Super Bowl threat, while Tennessee would then fade into obscurity.