Houston Texans Could Explore Trade for Key Defender

The Houston Texans' defense was certainly an area of strength last season, as they boasted one of the NFL's best pass-rushing tandems as well as a dynamic secondary.

However, there is no doubting that the Texans were disappointed with the performance of at least one player on the defensive side of the ball, and perhaps none were more discouraging than Denico Autry.

Houston signed Autry to a two-year contract last year, hoping that he would provide Houston's already impressive pass rush with another boost after racking up 11.5 sacks with the Tennessee Titans the season prior.

Unfortunately, a six-game suspension sidelined the 34-year-old to start the 2024 campaign, and when he was on the field, he was largely unproductive, logging 13 tackles and three sacks.

Well, Jovan Alford of House of Houston seems to believe that Autry is already "on the chopping block" heading into training camp, noting that the veteran could ultimately be replaced by a more spry pass rusher in the coming weeks.

If the Texans are dissatisfied with Autry, a trade is certainly possible. He has just one year left on his contract and carries a manageable $6.6 million cap hit for 2025, so perhaps a team in need of another defensive lineman woud be willing to take a chance on him.

Prior to arriving in Houston, Autry was a very productive player, accumulating a grand total of 28.5 sacks in three seasons with the Titans between 2021 and 2023.

Perhaps the aging defender is just declining, or maybe a change of scenery is needed.