Good news: Houston Texans Land one of the most valuable player in the NFL And Might Have Just Locked Up The Best Offseason As A Result
H-Town is on absolute fire here in free agency!
It was originally thought that running back Joe Mixon was going to be cut by the Cincinnati Bengals and sent into free agency as a result, but it appears that won’t be happening at all.
The Houston Texans have landed Mixon in a trade with the Bengals, shipping off an undisclosed draft pick in order to get the deal done, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and NFL.com.
The move follows Cincinnati making it known that they were going to release Mixon after they signed veteran running back Zack Moss to a deal Monday.
However, prior to Mixon hitting free agency, the Texans managed to pick him up in their hunt for a running back. Their back from last year, Devin Singletary, signed a three-year contract Monday with the New York Giants after spending the 2023 campaign with Houston.
With all of the big dominoes out of the way and smoke clearing up as a result, is it safe to say at this point that the Houston Texans are having the best offseason? Have they locked it up already?
Judging by their moves, they might have.
I mean, damn, not only have they acquired Mixon in free agency, but they’ve also picked up linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, cornerback Jeff Okudah and linebacker Danielle Hunter. And on top of all that, they managed to retain tight end Dalton Schultz
Who’s doing better than that?
Nobody from where I’m looking.
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Texans Signing Danielle Hunter Sends Message to AFC
The Houston Texans could have sat tight, re-signed their own, and ran back a young team hoping to exceed expectations once again. Quarterback C.J. Stroud put Houston back on the map with an electric rookie season that threw his name in the record books and conversations that include the word “elite.” The correct course of action is doubling down on his accomplishments and pairing potential development with a supporting cast capable of complementing it, not relying on it. On the second day of the league’s legal tampering period, Texans general manager Nick Caserio did just that.
Tuesday saw Houston agree to terms with former Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Danielle Hunter. The deal, per Adam Schefter, will be for two years, worth $49 million – $48 million of which is guaranteed.
That’s a lot of guaranteed money for an edge rusher with a somewhat concerning medical history and a quickly approaching 30th birthday. And yet, the Texans were more than right to do so. Pairing Hunter, a four-time Pro Bowler who has only ever produced, with a star talent like edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. is revelatory of their intentions. Houston is going big-game hunting because it’s chasing the big game in February. Hunter had 16.5 sacks this past season, his fifth time hitting double-digit sacks. Per Pro Football Focus, Hunter ranked ninth among qualified edge rushers in pass-rush win rate on true pass sets. He was also Minnesota’s highest-graded defensive player. This was accomplished while being double-teamed at an above-average rate, a number that’s bound to fall in 2024. Hunter is a star, but he may not be the best edge rusher on his new team. Anderson was largely viewed as the best non-quarterback in his draft class and looked the part as a rookie, even if the sacks (seven) didn’t follow as quickly as some had hoped. The Texans have a great argument for the best pass-rushing duo in the conference, a necessity in taking down the gauntlet of elite quarterbacks the AFC has to offer. Teams scheme around lethal edge rushers, and having two is a nightmare for opposing coordinators. Doing so while also boasting defensive linemen like Denico Autry, Maliek Collins, and Foley Fatukasi only makes them more dangerous.
Houston lost its most productive pass rusher from last season, Jonathan Greenard, to the Vikings. Less than two days later the unit looks even better. The Texans have the cap space to acquire high-level talents around their rookie quarterback, and now they’re making good on the promise he presents.
