Brian Burns is apparently going to be a free agent, should the Houston Texans go after him?

Free agent Brian Burns just got more free...er, according to Josina Anderson on her official Twitter account, the former Pro Bowl defensive end for the Carolina Panthers will likely not be retained by his original club. The team informed Burns that they are no longer going to negotiate with him going forward.

It was intimated that the team would be willing to reopen conversations with him at some point, but that point is not currently. This is huge news for a team like the Houston Texans who will now be able to look at Burns as a genuine option.

Burns was reportedly looking for a massive per-season figure of $30 million per year. A huge figure for a player who has only hit the double-digit sack mark once. It's likely a figure the Panthers weren't willing to pay, especially in the middle of a rebuild. So it's likely that Burns will end up a free agent after all.

Not only that but if Burns isn't likely to re-sign with the Panthers, it's likely due to his asking price being too high. Clearly, the Panthers want Burns back, just not at the figure he's asking for. And it's likely a figure that most guys' clubs can't match.

That means that his asking price will likely go down over the coming weeks, and if that does happen, he may in fact be back on the board for the Houston Texans to go after. The Texans are unsure about Jonathan Greenard, and what he's asking for yearly. He had a massive breakout season in 2023, but his ability to replicate that performance, while staying healthy is a huge question mark.

While Burns isn't worth $30 million a year, he may be worth around the asking price of Greenard, about $15 million or so. With Burns being a far more consistent player, he would make for a potential upgrade over Greenard. They have similar ceilings as players, one that's often gone unfilled, but their floors are vastly different.

We know what each man looks like at their worst, and Burns clearly out preforms Greenard in that regard. If he cuts his asking price, the Texans should be in play for Burns.