Houston Texans: 3 intriguing free agent options available
By Jair Lopez
Taking a closer look at the NFL free agents still available late in the process that could fit with the Houston Texans.
The Houston Texans have a loaded roster, but there are still a few spots on the depth chart that could use some competition. The Texans have a solid roster that could be ready to compete for a playoff berth tomorrow and possibly contend for a Super Bowl with the talent they have on both sides of the football.
However, there still remains several free agents out there that could fit well with some of the qualities the front office envisions on their roster. Talented players like Cam Newton and Jadaveon Clowney are clear examples of players that would have a multi-year deal in any other year due to the immense impact and upside they would bring to any football franchise.
The COVID 19 pandemic has played a role in several players remaining without a team this late in the process due to the difficulty to access physicians to perform physicals than in prior years.
Here are three players that could help the Texans in their pursuits in being one of the better teams in the league for the upcoming season.
Houston Texans: Cordy Glenn OT
Cordy Glenn is still one of the better free agent offensive tackles in the NFL, but being buried on non-contending teams have taken some of the spotlight of what he can bring to the table. Glenn started his career with the Buffalo Bills after he was drafted in the second of the 2012 NFL Draft. Glenn showed to be a solid left tackle for the Bills and signed a five-year contract extension worth up to $65 million to remain in Buffalo.
However, health has ultimately been the momentum killer for the past few seasons. Glenn dealt with foot and ankle injuries that limited him to six games in 2017. His injuries incentivized the Bills to move him to the Cincinnati Bengals in order to swap first-round picks to move up the draft and put themselves in a better position to select quarterback Josh Allen in 2018.
Glenn filled a big need for the Bengals in their pursuits to elevate their talent on the offensive line, but injuries influenced his exit in Cincinnati after two seasons. Glenn only missed three games due to injury in 2018 but the Bengals finished the season 6-10. The Bengals struggled as a team on and off the field in 2019 as they finished with the worst record in the league at 2-14.
Glenn only started in five of his six appearances as he dealt with a concussion that sidelined him multiple games. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that Glenn had a fallout with the Bengals after he believed they rushed him back to the field before he was ready to return from his concussion. He was suspended in Week 7 and ultimately released towards the conclusion of the season after they were unable to trade him to a new team.
Glenn remains a talented player at the age of 30, and he could be a valuable depth player for a contending team like the Texans. Houston relied on Chris Clark, Roderick Johnson, and Dan Skipper with injuries affecting the offensive line last season. Glenn would be an upgrade on the offensive line, and Houston’s training staff remains one of the better sports medicine programs to help him with any injuries he might face playing football.