The Houston Texans have not set the world on fire with their free agency or offseason moves as of yet. Some moves have been fine, others bad, and some were so absurd we're left scratching our heads. Let's be very clear, glamor stats and name value are fine, but production and consistency is key. If you have a player who can't stay on the field against the run, does it matter if he can get 10 sacks in 17 games?
We really overvalue some stats, and downplay the significance of three-down players. That's really what this offseason has been so far for the Houston Texans. A few guys with name value but not actual on-the-field value. It's been such a calamity that it'd be fair to say the Texans have downgraded their roster from 2023.
The offseason isn't over, however, and there's still a chance to turn this thing around and that would involve signing Danielle Hunter. He's a four-time Pro Bowler, coming off of a 16.5 sack season with the Minnesota Vikings, and would be a huge asset for the Houston Texans this coming season.
And the good news for the club, he's interested. Now, we heard that Saquon Barkley was interested too, but the Texans lowballed him and lost him to the Philadelphia Eagles, forcing the Texans to downgrade to Joe Mixon.
Hunter is a top-tier guy. There are better options than him, but not many. He'd be the perfect compliment to come in and slide in next to Will Anderson and really wreak havoc on opposing teams. Granted signing Denico Autry for $20 million won't help them land Hunter, and may even take snaps from him and Anderson but the Texans are still in play.
ideally, Autry would move to defensive tackle, a position he's played before, and that would allow the Texans to have Autry, Hunter, and Anderson in a perfect world. All the Texans have to do is not fumble the bag this time and land Hunter. Doing so would dramatically improve the outlook on this team's potential in 2024.