The Houston Texans have been extremely active in free agency, as their key additions include the likes of defensive end Danielle Hunter, running back Joe Mixon and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, among others.
In addition to signing outside free agents, the Texans have also brought back a few of their own including tight end Dalton Schultz, cornerback Desmond King, safety Eric Murray and defensive tackle Khalil Davis.
It's a nice haul for Houston, but did they improve more than any other team in the league in free agency? ESPN NFL senior writer Mike Clay seems to think so, as he ranked the Texans in the top spot of his list of most improved teams. The Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Commanders and Atlanta Falcons rounded out the rest of the list.
From Clay:
"Not only did the Texans make a few splashy additions, but they did so at the expense of their AFC and divisional rivals. Al-Shaair and Autry ranked first and sixth, respectively, on the Titans in defensive snaps last season, and Fatukasi was a solid interior defender for the Jaguars. Hunter, meanwhile, is one of the league's best edge rushers (10-plus sacks in his last four full seasons) and forms a potentially elite duo with Will Anderson Jr. All four newcomers will play a role in the front seven for a Houston defense that posted the 11th-best defensive expected points added (EPA) in 2023.
"Mixon, one of the league's top running backs since entering the league in 2017, was acquired from the Bengals and will replace Devin Singletary as lead back; he ranked fourth in the NFL in touches in 2023. Mixon and Schultz, who signed a three-year, $36 million extension after a successful 2023 season with the team, will be two of second-year QB C.J. Stroud's top playmakers."
Whether or not the Texans have improved the most is debatable, but fans in Houston should definitely feel good about the moves that were made, and also about the fact that they have a front office that is actively trying to improve the roster. That's more than some teams in the same state can say (cough, Cowboys, cough).