The Houston Texans have made some franchise-changing moves since 2002. Along the way, they have found players who have helped change their team, and the NFL.
Though the Houston Texans have been around less than 20 seasons in the NFL, they have been able to make some great, and not so great, acquisitions in the free agent market, whether it be in traditional free agency, or in signing undrafted rookie free agents.
More from Houston Texans All-Time Lists
- Texans History: 5 best one year wonders
- Houston Texans may finally be free from the ‘Tony Boselli curse’
- Houston Texans’ Top 5 least-worn jersey numbers
- Andre Johnson becomes a finalist for the Hall of Fame
- Andre Johnson’s 5 greatest receiving games with Texans
This list for the Texans is about the best free agent acquisitions the franchise has made all-time from 2002 to 2018. They have added players to the franchise who have become household names, players who did the little things to help lead the team to success or players who made many fantasy football owners very happy.
The players who are on this list have helped the Texans earn playoff berths and AFC South championships. They have also helped build the foundation for the team to achieve success in both the regular season and the AFC playoffs.
Granted ,the Texans are still a work in progress, as they have yet to play in the AFC Championship game or the Super Bowl.
That being said, for being such a young franchise, the Texans have found players whom others never gave a chance or added players via free agency who were entering the prime of their career and made themselves very solid NFL players.
Some of the players listed finished out their careers in Houston with very respectable numbers. Others are currently with the franchise and making their mark in the legacy of the team. Listed are the top 15 best free agent acquisitions ever made by the Texans all-time.
Strong safety Danieal Manning played for the Texans for four seasons after signing as a free agent in 2011. He not only played safety for them, but was also a kick returner for the team.
Manning played his first five seasons with the Chicago Bears, but in 2011, he came to the Texans. In that first season, he played in 13 games, where he had two interceptions, five passes defended, 59 tackles and one quarterback hit.
During his four years with the Texans, Manning totaled 51 games played with 40 starts. In those games, the safety collected four interceptions, 17 passes defended, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two sacks, 206 total tackles (156 solo), four tackles for loss and four quarterback hits.
In his kickoff returns with the Texans, Manning had 28 returns for 659 yards, with his longest return being 46 yards in 2011. He averaged 23.5 yards per return while in Houston.
In the AFC playoffs, Manning played in four games for the Texans. There, he had a total of 10 returns for 396 yards, with his longest going for 94 yards. Manning averaged 39.6 yards per return in the four playoff games with the Texans, where the Texans were 2-2.
Manning didn’t have the longest career with the Texans, but he did end up being a pretty solid free agent signing by the Texans. He made some significant contributions that helped with the franchise.
While with the Texans, Manning made the First-Team All-Pro of Pro Football Focus in 2014.
The Texans signed Shaun Cody in 2009 as a free agent defensive tackle. Cody played his first four seasons with the Detroit Lions from 2005 to 2008. Once he joined the Texans, he played in 59 total games, starting 57 of those, where he totaled 99 tackles (59 solo) with six tackles for a loss, seven quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks.
Cody, who was really a nose tackle for the Texans, has his best season with the Texans in 2011. In 16 games played, he had two passes defended, one fumble recovery, one sack, 23 tackles, two tackles for loss and three quarterback hits.
The most tackles in a season while with the Texans came in 2010, where he collected 38 total tackles, three tackles for loss and two quarterback hits. His other half-sack while playing for Houston was back in 2009, a season where he had 21 total tackles, one tackle for loss and two quarterback hits in 14 games played, 13 of those being starts.
Cody might not have played the most glamorous position on the Texans, but he seemed to do a solid job. He did it well enough to be a part of teams in Houston that made the AFC playoffs in the 2011 and 2012 NFL seasons.
For his four playoff games with the Texans, Cody totaled two solo tackles and five assisted tackles. The Texans were 2-2 in those games, with wins over the Cincinnati Bengals in both 2011 and 2012.
After going undrafted in 2008 and not signing with an NFL team, Jon Weeks took a couple of years away from the NFL. He eventually returned to football and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Texans.
Since that time, Weeks has been a staple on the Texans roster as the long snapper. He plays possibly the most underrated position on the entire team.
Weeks hasn’t missed a game his entire career, giving the Texans some ease, as they don’t have to worry about whether Weeks will be ready to go each week during a given NFL season.
The Texans long snapper has done so well for the franchise in his career that they even re-signed him back in 2012. He hasn’t left the team since then. Weeks is 33 years old. Even though he’s a special teams player, he has gained some stats too while with the Texans.
During his career, Weeks has a fumble recovery coming back in 2015. For his career, Weeks has recorded 10 tackles, with five of those coming in 2013.
Weeks has also played in a total of eight playoff games for the Texans. The team is 3-5 in those games, with two wins against the Cincinnati Bengals and a win over the Oakland Raiders in 2016.
Weeks was also a Pro Bowl selection in 2015.
Granted, Tyrann Mathieu has only played one season for the Texans. He’s also now a free agent because his contract was just for one season. That being said, the strong safety of the Texans for the 2018 season played exceptionally well for his time with the franchise and helped boost the defense.
Mathieu seems to be going back into free agency for the 2019 offseason. In his one season with the Texans, the strong safety sparked the defense as he totaled 89 tackles in 16 games, along with five tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, one fumble recovery, eight passes defended and two interceptions.
Mathieu has played six seasons in the NFL. But at 26 years old, he has only played in all 16 regular season games twice. Those would be 2018 with the Texans and his final season with the Arizona Cardinals in 2017.
For his one year in Houston, Mathieu also had a grade of 75.1 from Pro Football Focus, with his coverage grade being 70.6 and his run defense grade at 83.9. He had a pass rush grade of 67.1, as he played a total of 1,114 snaps, the most of any safety on the Texans this past season.
It is unknown if the Texans will try to re-sign Mathieu for the 2019 season. At least for the 2018 season, he played well and helped the defense regain their respect as one of the better units in the NFL.
Though his tenure is still going on with the Texans, Lamar Miller was selected to the Pro Bowl this past season. Since joining the Texans, Miller has played in 44 games with the franchise, making 41 starts.
Miller is a player who can make you stand and cheer, but also make you pull your hair out. He’s a talented player for sure, but sometimes the results aren’t there for various reasons.
Miller’s first season with the Texans was in 2016, where he had his most productive season with the franchise. In 14 games played — all being starts — he rushed for 1,073 yards with five touchdowns and a 4.0 yards per carry average.
Since then, Miller rushed for 888 yards on 238 carries and three touchdowns for a 3.7 yards per carry average in the 2017 season, playing in all 16 games and making 13 starts. This past season, Miller had 973 rushing yards on 210 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per carry with five touchdowns.
Another part of Miller’s game is catching the football. In four seasons with the Texans, he has amassed 92 receptions for 678 yards with five touchdowns for a 7.4 yards per catch average.
Miller has also played in three playoff games with the Texans, totaling 55 carries for 165 yards and one touchdown. In those three playoff games, Miller also has collected eight receptions on 10 targets for 63 yards.
What makes Miller a positive free agent signing is teams to this day still have to game plan for him. This past season, he was placed on the Pro Bowl roster and nearly had 1,000 yards rushing.
Keep in mind he was running behind one of the worst of offensive lines in football. He also missed two games. There is still potential for Miller with the Texans. He still has one year left on his contract, so it will be interesting to see how that season turns out.
In four seasons with the Texans, cornerback A.J. Bouye went from being an undrafted free agent signing by the franchise, to eventually leaving the team for a big-time NFL contract and making a name for himself in the league.
In his four seasons with the Texans, Bouye played in a total of 50 games, making 19 starts. In that time frame from 2013 to 2016, Bouye totaled 137 tackles (116 solo), with three tackles for loss, one quarterback hit. Even more importantly, Bouye collected six interceptions for 129 yards and one touchdown.
Bouye’s top interception return was for 67 yards (which is still his career-high), while he also totaled 32 passes defended in those first four seasons of his NFL career.
The interception return for a touchdown by Bouye came back in 2014 against the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 2, 2014 for a 51-yard touchdown off a pass from Eagles quarterback Nick Foles in the first quarter. That game ended up being a 31-21 loss by the Texans.
Bouye left the Texans and signed with the division rival Jacksonville Jaguars, where his 2018 contract with Jacksonville was tied for the 12th-highest for the season at $13 million.
In his time with the Jaguars the past two seasons, he has made 29 starts with seven interceptions and 26 passes defended. He also has 110 tackles with Jacksonville.
This just might be a player the Texans wished they would have kept and seen his entire career through, as they were the ones to find him as an undrafted rookie free agent all those years ago.
The Texans brought back a former Houston Oilers player when they signed Gary Walker in 2002, which at the time was his eighth NFL season. For the 2002 year, the signing was well worth the addition for the expansion Texans.
During the 2002 season, Walker played in all 16 games, finishing with 51 tackles (36 solo) with 6.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. The following three seasons with the Texans weren’t so great. The reason Walker is on this list is for that 2002 season and what he brought to a brand-new franchise.
That season, Walker was a first-team All-Conference player by Pro Football Weekly. He had a Pro Bowl selection as well. Also in 2002, Walker totaled four passes defended, and of his tackles, 11 went for a loss.
Walker had a solid NFL career as he played for the Oilers, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Texans for a total of 11 seasons. Walker finished with 155 games played (148 games started) with a total of 46.5 sacks.
In the very first game played by the Texans, Walker recorded a sack in their 19-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 8. The next week, he had a second sack, against the then-San Diego Chargers. Even in the Pro Bowl that year, Walker had a half sack.
For the rest of his Texans career, Walker played in four games in 2003, 15 games in 2004 and 11 games in 2005. In 2004, Walker totaled a half sack, 29 tackles and three passes defended. In 2005, he had 29 tackles, one sack and four passes defended. The 2003 season was cut short with just four games played.
Punter might not be the most exciting position to write about, read about or even watch, but it is an unsung position for all 32 NFL teams. For the Texans from 2013 to 2017, they had one of the better ones in the NFL for 80 games.
In his final season with the Texans, Shane Lechler led the NFL in punting yards with 4,507 on 92 attempts, averaging 49 yards per punt that season. That is both a good and bad thing for the Texans, as they were punting the ball a lot that season.
In 2016, Lechler had his least amount of punts in a season for the Texans while playing a 16-game schedule. That was 72 punts, where he averaged 47.5 yards per punt.
For his entire five-year career with the Texans, Lechler totaled 430 punts and had only one blocked in all of those attempts. He averaged 47.6 yards per punt while wearing a Texans uniform. Going back to his final season with the Texans, did I mention he was 41 years old in 2017?
Lechler played an entire 18 seasons in the NFL with his first 13 seasons with the Oakland Raiders. While wearing the Silver and Black, he led the NFL in punting yards on three occasions, had the longest punt twice in a season and led the league five times in yards per punt average. His career-high came in 2009 at 51.1 yards per punt.
Being one of the top punters of his era, Lechler might be a future Pro Football Hall of Fame selection.
For him to cap off his career with the Texans for the final five seasons and to still be averaging nearly 50 yards a punt in his final season with the team — his best punt that year went for 68 yards — the Texans made a good choice when they brought him into the franchise back in 2013.
By the way, he even completed a pass for the Texans in 2014 for 10 yards. For good measure, he had two tackles in the 2013 regular season with the Texans, plus in 2016 he made a tackle in a playoff game at 40 years old.
Everyone has to respect a player who decided to leave a player like Peyton Manning and a franchise like the Indianapolis Colts to join an expansion franchise like the Texans were in 2002 to have a chance to play for his hometown team.
While with the Colts from 1998 to 2001, Steve McKinney was a fourth-round draft pick by that franchise. However, the Texas native played his final six seasons with the Texans, where he totaled 73 starts in 80 games played. He did not miss a start until his final season in 2007 where he played in just three games.
McKinney did have two fumble recoveries with the Texans in 2003 and 2006. He was a cornerstone in the interior line of the Texans during most of his five-year tenure at center and both guard positions. In 2007, he tore his ACL and played in just three games at 32 years old.
Here are some stats provided by Pro Football Reference about McKinney that jump off the page while with the Texans:
• False starts: six
• Holding penalties: one
• Declined penalties: three
• Total penalties: seven
Though he wasn’t selected as a Pro Bowl player or made the big headlines, the Texans had a player who played multiple positions, played injured and was there to help the team in any way they asked him to do so.
His career didn’t have the best ending with the ACL injury, as he was unable to make the roster of the Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks as a free agent in 2008. He still played solid football while in Houston. That is what is important when signing a free agent.
In 11 games during the 2006 through 2010 seasons with the Texans, fullback Vonta Leach was one of the more favorable players on the roster. h=His blocking skills were a big part of the success of the franchise, as he was an important player in helping the franchise become what it is today.
Fansided’s House of Houston recently showed great respect to Leach, listing him as the 20th all-time Texans player, as he was a big part of the rushing game of the Texans during his time with the team.
Being 6-foot and 246 pounds, Leach could open up rushing lanes with the best of them. As he played in 75 games with the franchise (37 starts), Leach had the following numbers to back up his play as the fullback of the franchise: 71 receptions (98 targets) for 518 yards for a 7.3 yards per reception average.
Leach also had four receiving touchdowns in his Texans career, as he only scored one more touchdown after leaving the Texans in his final three NFL seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
Leach rarely rushed with the football, but he was a part of a blocking scheme that led to the Texans being a top-17 or better offense in points scored from 2007 to 2010 and a top-four offense in points scored from 2008 to 2010. He helped set the foundation for the Texans’ first playoff berth the year after he left the franchise.
The fullback made the Pro Bowl in 2010 with the Texans and twice more the following two seasons with the Ravens. He was also a First-Team All-Pro selection in those same seasons, including 2010 with Houston.
The Texans did pretty well in the four years they had offensive guard Wade Smith on their roster from 2010 2013. They had a player who was recognized by Pro Football Focus in 2010 as a Second-Team All-Pro on their list and had a player who had just five penalties listed on the Pro Football Reference page during his time with the franchise.
PFR has Smith down for three holding calls in 64 starts with the Texans, along with just one penalty that was declined by the opponent. He had no false starts listed while in Houston, according to the profile.
Smith played a total of 11 seasons in the NFL, suiting up for the Miami Dolphins, the New York Jets, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Texans and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Of all the teams and seasons Smith played in the NFL, his lone touchdown as an offensive lineman came while with the Texans, as it occurred in 2011 on a fumble recovery for a score.
The offensive guard of the Texans also made the 2012 Pro Bowl. Before he joined the Texans back in 2003, he was a member of the All-Rookie Team. Smith was a part of four playoff games with the Texans in 2011 and 2012, where he helped the team defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in consecutive years in the AFC Wild Card Round.
However, he was also a part of the losses to the Baltimore Ravens in 2011 and the New England Patriots in 2012. Smith also played his first playoff game back in 2006 with the Jets, which was a loss to the Patriots as well.
Smith is the third offensive linemen on this list, as the Texans have proven in the past they could find talent on the free agent market. He was one of the players who really stood out from the rest of the all-time free agent signings by the franchise.
For seven seasons with the Texans, Kevin Walter made 91 starts and played in 109 games with the franchise from 2006 to 2012. During that time, he made his mark on the franchise. Walter totaled 326 receptions in his time with the Texans, totaling 4,083 yards and scoring 24 touchdowns.
Walter also averaged 12.5 yards per reception and even made 13 rushes in those seasons for 82 yards. Walter didn’t become a full-time starter with the Texans until the 2007 season, where he made 15 starts in 16 games played. That season saw him total 800 receiving yards (65 receptions) and four touchdowns.
The following year in 2008 was his best with the Texans, as he totaled 899 yards on 60 receptions with a career-high eight touchdown receptions. He also had a career-best 15 yards per reception, as he was targeted 95 times that season.
The rest of his tenure in Houston saw the following numbers:
• 2009: 53 receptions (70 targets), 14 games (14 starts), 611 yards, two touchdowns
• 2010: 51 receptions (80 targets), 16 games (16 starts), 621 yards, five touchdowns
• 2011: 39 receptions (59 targets), 15 games (14 starts), 474 yards, three touchdowns
• 2012: 41 receptions (68 targets), 16 games (14 starts), 518 yards, two touchdowns
Walter in his four playoff games with the Texans (2011-12) saw him total nine receptions on 17 targets for 77 yards, for an 8.6 yards per catch average in those four games.
Also in his Texans career, Walter totaled three fumble recoveries, had a fumble recovery touchdown and had 24 tackles.
Walter began his NFL career with his first three seasons playing for the Cincinnati Bengals after being a seventh-round pick by the New York Giants in 2003.
Back in 2009, the Texans were in need of a defensive end who could help the franchise shore up their defense. In free agency, they signed Antonio Smith away from the Arizona Cardinals. For five straight seasons (and again for the final year of his career), Smith ended up making 78 starts for the franchise (all from 2009-13). He played in a total of 92 games with the Texans.
For his career with Houston, Smith totaled 161 tackles (115 solo) with 38 tackles for loss, 98 quarterback hits, 27.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries. Also in his career with the Texans, Smith had eight passes defended and seven forced fumbles.
While with the Texans, Smith made the Pro Bowl in 2011, a season where he played and started in all 16 games, finishing that year with two passes defended, one forced fumble, 6.5 sacks, 25 tackles (19 solo), 10 tackles for loss and 19 quarterback hits.
Smith is one of the all-time best players to ever suit up for the franchise. He provided quality numbers and along the way played in six playoff games with the franchise, starting four of them in 2011 and 2012. His career playoff numbers with the Texans show Smith had one sack, 12 total tackles (11 solo), four tackles for a loss and four quarterback hits.
Fans look back at Smith’s time with Houston with great fondness. For his final season with the Texans, Smith was all but retired, but he came back to help the franchise when J.J. Watt was injured in 2016. The team needed to add depth, even if he was 34 years old at the time.
Smith always will be a favorite of Houston fans. When the Texans signed him as a free agent back in 2009, they gained a player who really embodied what the team represents.
Of free agent signings for players who were already on another NFL franchise before being signed by the Texans, Johnathan Joseph is the best of the best. However, there is still one player who was a free agent signing who stands above everyone.
As for Joseph, he joined the Texans in 2011 after five seasons previously with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he carved out a solid start to his NFL career. With Cincinnati, he made 58 starts in 67 games, recording 272 tackles and 14 interceptions.
Since joining the Texans — a time frame that just reached its eighth season — Joseph has played in 119 games for the franchise, making 117 starts.
Joseph has garnered 16 interceptions while playing in Houston. Four of those interceptions went for a touchdown. He has also registered 105 passes defended, three fumble recoveries, 431 tackles (378 solo), eight tackles for loss and one quarterback hit.
Since joining the Texans, Joseph has had at least one interception in seven of his eight years with the franchise. In six of those seasons, he has had at least two interceptions to his credit in a given season. In his first year with the Texans back in 2011, Joseph grabbed four interceptions. Back in 2013, he had a three-interception season.
Joseph also has played in eight playoff games with Houston, where he’s totaled two interceptions, 10 passes defended, 40 tackles and one tackle for loss.
In 2012, Joseph was ranked as the 73rd best player in the NFL on the Top 100 list. He is also a two-time Pro Bowl selection. In 2017, Joseph was the Week 6 AFC Defensive Player of the Week.
Joseph has been a very important part of the Houston defenses throughout the past eight seasons. As he still has one year left on his current contract, he is coming off a season where he had 58 tackles, two interceptions, 13 passes defended and a touchdown.
Ladies and gentlemen, the all-time best free agent signing for the Texans is when Houston signed an undrafted rookie free agent from the University of Tennessee named Arian Foster to their practice squad.
Foster had an excellent career with the Texans when he was healthy. Each time he played in 13 or more games in a given season, he rushed for over 1,200 yards and had carries of no less than 260 in those same seasons.
Foster averaged 4.5 yards per carry in his seven seasons with the Texans, totaling 6,472 yards rushing on 1,454 carries in 76 games, 68 of them starts. Foster rushed for 54 touchdowns, averaged 85.2 yards per game and 19.1 attempts per game. He even had 2,268 yards receiving on 249 receptions with 14 touchdowns.
The former Texans superstar running back led the NFL in rushing in 2010 — his first season as a full-time starter in the NFL — with 1,616 yards. He also led the NFL that season with 16 rushing touchdowns and averaged 101 yards per game rushing, also leading the NFL. In 2012, Foster led the NFL with 351 rushes and in rushing touchdowns too with 15.
During his time with the Texans, Foster was named to the NFL Top 100 list four times, with his best spot being No. 8 in 2013. He was also a four-time Pro Bowl selection. In 2010, he was named as a AP First-Team All-Pro.
More from Toro Times
- Houston Texans Draft: Michael Mayer should be a no doubter at pick 12
- Houston Texans already telling fans the Davis Mills era is over
- Houston Texans have hand forced, waste no time in firing Lovie Smith
- Houston Texans: Pros and Cons of keeping Head Coach Lovie Smith
- There is just one way the Texans can lose the No. 1 pick
In the playoffs, Foster played in four games, where he had a total of five rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown in those games.
Foster was also selected as a three-time Player of the Week and two-time Player of the Month. His longest rush in the NFL was 74 yards in 2010. In that same season, he totaled 2,220 yards from scrimmage.
Three times in his career Foster was in the Top 10 in all-purpose yards (2010, 2011, 2014). He was also voted to All-Pro teams by the Pro Football Writers Association, The Sporting News and The Associated Press.
The Texans have never really replaced what Foster brought to the franchise with his rushing abilities. Foster was a game-changer and one of the best running backs in the NFL in the 2010s.
He should always be remembered for his best moments with the team. Though his final season with the franchise wasn’t the best, being a former undrafted free agent and having all the success he had makes him the best free agent signing with the Texans of all-time.