Re-signing Dalton Schultz was the best possible outcome for the Houston Texans

The Houston Texans have agreed to bring back fan-favorite tight end Dalton Schultz, who was hours away from becoming a free agent. The Texans brought back the veteran to the tune of three years and $36 million total over the life of the contract. He's expected to receive $27 million of that $36 million regardless if the team moves on from him.

At 27 years old and one of the best all-around tight ends in the league, the Texans got a steal for Schultz. His return will help not only fortify the passing game for C.J. Stroud, who relied heavily on Schultz during Stroud's rookie year but also the running game. Schultz was one of the best blockers, not just at his position in the league but for the Houston Texans as a whole. The club wasn't very good at running the ball, and would often use Schultz as a big body to block for guys like Devin Singletary.

With Stroud looking to expand on a huge rookie campaign and the hope that the club ends up signing free agent running back Saquon Barkley, bringing back Schultz just made sense, especially at the current price point. It was a move that fortified the team going forward.

It's also one that wasn't completely expected. Many hoped the club would bring him back, but as guys like Jonathan Greenard and Blake Cashman remain without new deals as free agency creeps nearer and nearer next week, it was anyone's guess that the Texans would bring Schultz back.

With just a few more days to go before the free agency period begins (March 11), it'll be interesting to see if the Texans make any more deals with their remaining free agents, or if anyone else will be cut. Right now the team has been mostly quiet, so we'll see what happens down the road