Last season, the Houston Texans saw just about everything go right with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.
One of the catalysts to Stroud and the offense came when veteran running back Devin Singletary emerged as the team's top running back. When Dameon Pierce went down to injury, Singletary stepped in and didn't look back.
Now, Singletary is a free agent and, I would assume, many fans would love to have him back. He was consistent and meant a great deal to this group.
But, Pro Football Focus' Brad Spielberger seems to believe the Texans could have another plan. Spielberger recently mentioned the Texans as a top landing spot for free agent Saquon Barkley.
Should the Texans pursue Saquon Barkley in free agency?
"Houston got all it could out of free agent acquisition Devin Singletary, and it appears upshot 2022 rookie Dameon Pierce is not a great fit in the run scheme. Barkley can get to the edge well in outside zone and make defenders miss in space while also taking pressure off C.J. Stroud.
"The Texans should have had a much higher pass rate in 2023 and too often deployed a run-run-pass sequence, but Barkley is also an asset as a pass catcher and pass blocker," Spielberger wrote.
Barkley played last season on the franchise tag, and he wound up having a bit of a down year. Now, that wasn't all his fault. The Giants' offensive line was a mess and their quarterback position was also nowhere near consistent.
Believe it or not, Barkley just turned 25 years old and looks like he should have another good year of football in front of him, at the very least.
If the Texans think they can make a few moves to go all-in on competing with the AFC's elite in 2024, then maybe pursuing Barkley makes sense. My guess is the veteran will want more than just a one-year deal, although a multi-year deal is hard to come by for free agent running backs these days.
Let's say the Texans offer Barkley a 3-year contract near the $36 million range, not all guaranteed but layered with incentives. That would make sense for both sides, and could give the Texans an electric weapon to take pressure off Stroud as well.