NFL analyst identifies most important free agent for Houston Texans

The Houston Texans were the most surprising team in the 2023 NFL season. They came out of nowhere to win the AFC South, going 10-7 and turning things around rapidly under first-time head coach DeMeco Ryans.

A former linebacker with the Texans, Ryans came over from the San Francisco 49ers, where he was defensive coordinator, and immediately turned things around for Houston. The team hit home runs with their 2023 NFL Draft, landing quarterback C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 pick and then acquiring the No. 3 pick from the Arizona Cardinals to land edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.

With foundational pieces on both sides of the ball to build around, Houston is in business. They have already made the playoff once and won a playoff game in Year 1 of the Ryans era. At this point, the sky’s the limit with a star like Stroud leading the offense.

Near the top of the league in cap space, the Texans will have the chance to continue upgrading their roster this offseason. When taking a look at the roster, there are no glaring holes. Some people have suggested finding another weapon for Stroud in the passing game as a potential need.

If the brain trust identifies a player from another team that is a must-have, the team has the money to spend to acquire them. But, there are also free agents of their own that need to be considered fo long-term deals.

One of those players is defensive end Jonathan Greenard. In the opinion of DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN, Greenard is the biggest re-signing decision the Texans have in free agency during the 2024 NFL offseason.

“Greenard led the team in sacks (12.5), the most from a Texans defender since J.J. Watt had 16 in 2018. The Texans already have a Pro Bowler on the defensive line in rookie Will Anderson Jr., but coach DeMeco Ryans believes in a defense led by a dominant line powered by a wave of pass-rushers.

Last week, Ryans said, “Everything I believe in, it starts up front with the rush and also with the offensive line and protecting. So, we’ll continue to build with our fronts. Start at the front and build backwards, that’s how I envision it, and Jonathan had a really great year.” With $61.8 million in available cap space, there’s room to bring back Greenard,” wrote Bien-Aime.

You can never have enough pass-rushing options in the NFL and it would behoove the Texans to retain a player who was as productive as Greenard. A third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, he finally showcased more of the progress that flashed in 2021 when he had 8.0 sacks in 12 games.

With Greenard and Anderson, the Texans have pass-rushing bookends to rely on for the foreseeable future. Keeping that duo intact would be ideal and be one less thing for the front office to worry about addressing this offseason.