The Houston Texans have to decide between adding big-name free agents and resigning their expiring contracts. Which veteran needs to return the most in 2024?
The Houston Texans’ pass rush improved significantly by the end of the 2023 campaign and became a crucial component of their postseason drive. Bringing a potent pass rush into 2024 is imperative as they head into the offseason and seek to elevate their standing as contenders.
Still, a few Texans are set to receive new contracts as free agency approaches. Houston has the sixth-most cap room in football ($57.75 million), thus how it uses it might decide its AFC South destiny. Along with rotational pass rushers Jerry Hughes and Derek Barnett and starter edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, interior defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins will also be a free agency.
Greenard has made no secret of his desire to go back to H-Town, and the Texans need to support him. Pro Football Focus lists Greenard as the free agent the Texans should target, estimating a three-year, $47.25 million contract. There’s good cause for it.
Above all, Greenard just wrapped up his finest year to date. He set career highs with 12.5 sacks, 22 quarterback hits, and 15 tackles for loss. In each of the three categories, he led the squad.
Although some might be hesitant to part with a sizable sum of money for the team’s second-best edge rusher, Houston’s situation demands otherwise. When free agency begins, more names will be added to the list of current edge rusher contracts, with an average yearly value of $15.75 million, placing them in 17th place.
They are working within C.J. Stroud’s rookie contract, and the price is more than fair. This is the moment to invest. Furthermore, if he hasn’t already, Greenard will eventually lose ground to exceptional pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. However, he is also inexpensive, so Houston can pay two excellent edge rushers for the cost of one superstar.
Brad Spielberger stated that Greenard’s 19 stops against the run ranked among the top 20 of edge defenders. And under the guidance of [DeMeco] Ryans, he excelled as a pass rusher, recording career-high numbers with a 12.4% pass-rush win rate, 53 pressures, and 12.5 sacks.
Many defences revolve around keeping the front four threatening, and the best way to do it is to rely on a developing edge-rushing tandem. By most metrics, Greenard was among the top 32 edge rushers this season. He’s a real danger for eight or more sacks, even if his sack total may be on the decline. He also has a strong run defence. For a club that doesn’t depend on him to lead the pass rush, it is a luxury.
Finding adequate internal pressure is simpler and frequently less expensive. It might also be resolved in April, providing Houston’s defensive line with a healthy mix of youth and experience.
The Texans are lucky to have a quarterback who is good enough to compete in the competitive AFC quarterback market. Bringing back their most effective pass rusher from the previous campaign is the first step towards surrounding him with a defence that can withstand other greats.
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