The Houston Texans had a solid 2024 season. However, many fans may feel like the Texans failed to live up to expectations. Houston finished the regular season 10-7, winning the AFC South division title and making the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
However, before the 2024 season, many fans and analysts thought the Texans would win more games. There was a general belief that the Texans were finally ready to jump forward and become one of the top teams in the AFC. Unfortunately, things just didn’t go their way in 2024.
CJ Stroud could not replicate his impressive rookie season. The Texans also dealt with multiple injuries on offense, losing Stefon Diggs for the season and missing Nico Collins for several weeks.
Now the Texans must pick up the pieces and begin addressing what went wrong in 2024. That will be much easier said than done.
Houston enters the offseason with just $5 million in cap space. The Texans cannot bring in a new draft class, plus add free agents, with such a small amount of wiggle room. It is almost certain that Houston will restructure a few contracts, and perhaps cut a few players, to clear up enough cap space to make a few moves.
Even so, the Texans will not be big spenders this offseason. They simply cannot afford to be. As a result, the Texans may end up going bargain shopping during NFL free agency in March.
But which players could they realistically go after?
Below we will explore three sneaky good NFL free agents the Texans need to consider signing during 2025 NFL free agency.
Brandon Powell could be a productive depth piece for Houston
Powell leads our list of bargain free agents.
Powell’s best season came in 2023 with the Vikings. Powell emerged as a capable receiver on offense in addition to his special teams roles.
In 2023, Powell hauled in 29 receptions for 324 yards and one touchdown. These are not gaudy numbers, but they do suggest that Powell can be a capable receiver on offense.
Powell’s ability to contribute on special teams and on offense should make him attractive to a team like the Texans. Houston could get production in multiple phases of the game by signing just one free agent.
Powell also projects as a very affordable free agent. Spotrac estimates he will command just $1.5 million per season in free agency.
The Texans need to seriously consider adding Powell on a one-year contract.
The Texans could use someone like Royce Newman as interior o-line depth
Houston has plenty of needs on the offensive line this offseason. The Texans have a few holes to fill and also need to start thinking about the future.
Veteran starters like Laremy Tunsil, Tytus Howard, and Shaquille Mason are not long-term solutions at their respective positions. As a result, the Texans will likely spend a few draft picks on offensive linemen who they can develop during the 2025 season.
That may not be enough to ensure that CJ Stroud is sufficiently protected.
That’s where someone like Royce Newman comes in. Newman spent the first three years of his career with the Packers, though his role slowly diminished each season. Newman spent the 2024 season in Tampa Bay, but only played three snaps the entire season.
Newman should be an attractive free agent for Houston for a few reasons. First, he boasts position flexibility that makes him valuable as a backup. He started his career at right guard, but has spent some time at left guard and right tackle. The ability to fill in at almost any position on the o-line makes him more valuable than other offensive linemen.
Newman should also be quite affordable. Spotrac projects that Newman should command less than $1.5 million per season, which is a bargain for a veteran offensive lineman.
Newman could be a great depth piece for Houston on a one-year contract.
TJ Slaton would be an excellent addition to the Texans’ d-line
TJ Slaton may be the one player on this list worth bringing in on a multi-year contract.
Slaton is a plug-and-play defensive tackle who boasts the best kind of ability – availability. He has started in all 17 games during each of his fourth seasons in Green Bay.
Slaton may not be a splashy player, but he gets the job done and is a consistent player. Thankfully, that’s all the Texans really need along the interior of the defensive line.
A player like Slaton is a good fit in Houston because he can demand enough attention to create one-on-one matchups for Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. on the outside. He’s= also a stout run defender.
Slaton is expected to command just under $4 million per season on the open market. If the Texans want to bring him in on a multi-year contract, they can structure that contract to create as small of a cap hit in 2025 as possible.
Slaton is only 27 years old, he will turn 28 in October, and has multiple seasons of solid production left.
Texans fans should not be surprised if Slaton is a priority free agent for Houston.
The post 3 sneaky good NFL free agents Texans need to sign appeared first on ClutchPoints.
