After the Houston Texans and Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins agreed on a revised two-year contract last week, the team all of a sudden has major cap flexibility to work with.
According to Texans Cap Analyst and X user @TexansCap (Troy_OTC), the Texans have the eighth-most cap space remaining ahead of the 2026 season at $30,289,455. The full list of eight includes:
- San Francisco 49ers: $72,464,661
- Tennessee Titans: $52,470,052
- Washington Commanders: $43,703,984
- Los Angeles Chargers: $43,127,102
- New England Patriots: $43,056,588
- Arizona Cardinals: $35,141,833
- Indianapolis Colts: $31,822,917
- Houston Texans: $30,289,455
For the amount of moves that Houston has already consummated in this offseason period, having over $30 million in cap space still available is a huge win. This is especially considering that this campaign is seen as a de facto "Super Bowl or bust" level of year for the franchise.
As such, the available spending power now has fans daydreaming over what potential moves the Texans may be now planning to make to further fortify the roster. In particular, fans and local media have brought up the fact that there's still room for a quality third defensive end to join a rotation that already includes two All-Pro's in Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.
The question is, if Houston were to actually pursue DE3 ahead of mandatory minicamp in July, who could they look to that could make an immediate impact? To me, there are at least four very intriguing options to consider. That would be Joey Bosa, Cam Jordan, Von Miller and Jadeveon Clowney.
Joey Bosa, 10 YOE, Age 30, $13.7 million AAV (projected)
Former Los Angeles Charger and Buffalo Bill Joey Bosa would arguably be one of the most eye raising additions to the team if it were to happen. He'd also be the most expensive according to Spotrac. If Houston were to sign him, it would chew up almost half of their remaining cap, which I think would automatically make him a no-go if you're general manager Nick Caserio. 29 total tackles and five sacks in 15 games last season would translate well into this defense, but the price point is a bit too high for my blood here.
Cam Jordan, 15 YOE, Age 36, $6.7 million AAV (projected)
Behind the later-to-be-mentioned Miller, Jordan would be the most accomplished option to consider this offseason if you're head coach DeMeco Ryans. Not only is the 15-year veteran an eight-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro and NFL 2010's All-Decade team member, he still provided the New Orleans Saints with 47 total tackles and and 10.5 sacks last year. Then, Spotrac projects him to only cost the team $6.7 million in cap space. If Houston wanted to make a Super Bowl splash, this would be a seismic move in that direction.
Von Miller, 15 YOE, Age Age 37, $5.8 million AAV (projected)
As foreshadowed in the Jordan section, Miller enters the list as the most accomplished defensive end that the Texans could find this offseason. Having led the NFL's best defense in the 2015 season, Miller and co. parlayed that into a Lombardi trophy and a place as one of the best overall defenses in league history as the "No Fly Zone" squad.
He then won another Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams back in the 2021 season, where his two sacks tied the all-time Super Bowl record (4.5) and helped engineer only the second championship win in Rams history (along with 2000).
Along with that, Miller is an eight-time Pro Bowler, seven-time All-Pro, NFL 2010's All-Decade Team member, Super Bowl MVP and owner of the record for most career sacks among active players (138.5). Last year for the Commanders, Miller played in 17 games and racked up 26 total tackles and nine sacks. Overall, Miller is just a winning football player who seems to always be in position to do what his team needs at just the right time.
With Miller expressing his intent to play this season, and only projected to cost $5.8 million, the Texans could (and probably should) be one of the teams who picks up the phone to make a call to the future NFL Hall of Famer.
Jadeveon Clowney, 12 YOE, Age 33, $5.7 million AAV (projected)
Clowney's return would be a homecoming for the former first-overall pick from 2014. Having spent the first five years of his career in Houston, Clowney would then bounce around the NFL to the tune of six different teams over the course of the seven following seasons of his tenure. While his raw sack numbers (66.5) don't line up with what was envisioned of him coming of out South Carolina, his reputation as both a run-stopper and pressure creator have help afford him the multiple opportunities he has received in his career.
While it wouldn't be the most earth-shattering move compared with other options on this list, his re-integration into a Ryans-led unit could provide a great blend of nostalgia and high-potential to warrant a look if the chance is there. His projected $5.7 million price tag also helps.
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