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2024 Free Agency

I don't want them to sign Pollard or Brown, I don't want to sign a first round WR that doesn't bring anything new to the room or has drop problems and I don't want an injury prone LB in the 3rd
Thomas doesn't have drop issues.

You and I see Pollard very differently. I like Pollard as a 70-30 split RB. He has good vision, runs hard, has good hands and really improved in pass pro last yr. An all around really good RB as long as he's not over used.

Thomas does bring something to the room that no other WR on the team has, legit deep speed and is a force in the RZ. He would help solve some of the RZ issues 17 TD's last yr and no he doesn't have drop issues. He does have at least a 40 in vert at 6'4 though. The offense wouldn't be scoring 3 points in a playoff game with Thomas and Collins on the field even if Tank got hurt again and if Tank stays healthy then defenses really better lookout.

I get what you're saying about Wilson, but he's a great player and I would risk 3-86 on him. You wouldn't and that fair enough. Without injury he would be a 1st rd pick. He's that good. If you dont like him go checkout another LB that I like a lot at 3-86 Nate Watson. Dudes a playmaker and a leader. It's great talking ball with you.
 
You and I see Pollard very differently. I like Pollard as a 70-30 split RB. He has good vision, runs hard, has good hands and really improved in pass pro last yr. An all around really good RB as long as he's not over used.
Pollard was pretty good as a RB2, not so much when he was the lead back.
 
Deandre Hopkins was traded for a 2nd and 4th in his contract year, so maybe it could happen. 19.7m is a lot of money, plus the extension means there may not be a ton of teams bidding on him. Depends on who else is interested. Tyreke Hill went for a lot more in a similar situation, but he also was the best WR in the league at the time and got a 4 year and 120 million extension with it.
That was an once and a life time thingy. We can’t expect that staff to pull a Bill Obrien. Come on that’s not happening. Bad example using that insane trade by O’Brien
 
Pollard was pretty good as a RB2, not so much when he was the lead back.
He looked fine to me.

They're talking about rebuilding their OL in Dallas this offseason.

Letting Smith go, and drafting a LT/C in rds 1/2. They seem to be really high on Jackson Powers- Johnson. If he falls to 1-24 he most likely will be the pick and they will draft the best OG available and move Tyler Smith to LT. They're also hoping for a healthier yr from Terrance Steele.

Injuries on the OL made it where no RB was going to be really productive. Kinda like with the Texans.
 
He looked fine to me.

They're talking about rebuilding their OL in Dallas this offseason.

Letting Smith go, and drafting a LT/C in rds 1/2. They seem to be really high on Jackson Powers- Johnson. If he falls to 1-24 he most likely will be the pick and they will draft the best OG available and move Tyler Smith to LT. They're also hoping for a healthier yr from Terrance Steele.

Injuries on the OL made it where no RB was going to be really productive. Kinda like with the Texans.
Their OL was head & shoulders above anything the Texans have fielded since Alex Gibbs left
 
Then why are they making so many changes?

They now have a direction for the oline to head in because they are building around a franchise QB. I think the oline they want is another season or two away. But if Casino does what he's capable of, it might be real close this coming season. Don't be surprised if they draft an OL in the 2nd or 3rd round and pick up a few free agents. I think it'd really surprise me if they took an OL in the 1st round, but not in the 2nd.
 
They now have a direction for the oline to head in because they are building around a franchise QB. I think the oline they want is another season or two away. But if Casino does what he's capable of, it might be real close this coming season. Don't be surprised if they draft an OL in the 2nd or 3rd round and pick up a few free agents. I think it'd really surprise me if they took an OL in the 1st round, but not in the 2nd.
The OL the Texans would like to build toward was decimated by the injury bug. 2023 was a total lost cause, seeing what we had.

Can anyone seriously say what to expect, this coming season, from Scruggs, Patterson, Kendrick Green and Broeker. And Kenyon Green. That's quite a lineup of untested young players.

Mussup seems to think they are all jags, and the Texans still need to invest heavily in free agency and the draft to further rebuild our OL.

Tytus Howard should be ready to play by training camp, but his come back is questionable. So the one position that should be a priority is RT, whether we resign Fant (I would't), go after another FA, or draft a prospect.

I understand the comments that we are in a narrow window and it's unfortunate last season set us back. But we shouldn't over react. Let's see what we have and see how our young prospects perform in 2024. Even with the injuries, our OL made progress last season. I see no reason to expect setback in 2024. We should continue to improve.
 
The OL the Texans would like to build toward was decimated by the injury bug. 2023 was a total lost cause, seeing what we had.

Can anyone seriously say what to expect, this coming season, from Scruggs, Patterson, Kendrick Green and Broeker. And Kenyon Green. That's quite a lineup of untested young players.

Mussup seems to think they are all jags, and the Texans still need to invest heavily in free agency and the draft to further rebuild our OL.

Tytus Howard should be ready to play by training camp, but his come back is questionable. So the one position that should be a priority is RT, whether we resign Fant (I would't), go after another FA, or draft a prospect.

I understand the comments that we are in a narrow window and it's unfortunate last season set us back. But we shouldn't over react. Let's see what we have and see how our young prospects perform in 2024. Even with the injuries, our OL made progress last season. I see no reason to expect setback in 2024. We should continue to improve.


These are the things that worry me most. When there's a Christmas tree in the room, it's difficult to look past the shiny tinsel and balls, to focus on the frail and withering trunk !
 
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The only things I noted were that he was pretty meh Dalton Schultz and that the most important trait they look for in a WR is the ability to create separation.
Meh on Dalton and high on Devin Singletary. Person over player. Wants hard nosed players. Wants coaches that have drive to be the best at what they do instead of coaches looking to move up or over
 
These are the things that worry me most. When there's a Christmas tree in the room, it's difficult to look past the shiny tinsel and balls, to focus on the frail and withering trunk !
The inexperience is really not a concern for me. At Center, Deiter was really bad, never should have been starting. Whether it's Scruggs or Patterson who wins out, it will be an upgrade. The same can be said of Howard at LG. Scruggs, when he eventually came in, played out of position and hadn't previously taken snaps at the position. One of the two Greens should earn the starting role at LG and will be an upgrade over last season. If Mason loses his starting role, it will be an upgrade.

We will have an upgraded OL in 2024. I see no reason for concern.
 
The inexperience is really not a concern for me. At Center, Deiter was really bad, never should have been starting. Whether it's Scruggs or Patterson who wins out, it will be an upgrade. The same can be said of Howard at LG. Scruggs, when he eventually came in, played out of position and hadn't previously taken snaps at the position. One of the two Greens should earn the starting role at LG and will be an upgrade over last season. If Mason loses his starting role, it will be an upgrade.

We will have an upgraded OL in 2024. I see no reason for concern.
I see a lot of "ifs".
I would like to see something more substantial than that.
 
Mooney over Davis. I think Mooney could break out playing with CJ. Davis has been decent, but not special, playing with a top 5 QB. That’s not even accounting for the dollars.
Mooney also has that 4.3 speed the Texans are currently lacking.
Another option is Devin Duvernay from the Ravens
 
Good rundown on all the FAs the team is looking at re-signing… or not. I would be concerned if Fairbairn and Johnston aren’t re-signed. I know they have to save somewhere but ST was a huge part of them winning (or losing when Fairbairn was out of the 2nd Jags game) this past season. I’d hate to see the unit take a step back going cheap at the positions.




The Texans are in active contract discussions with kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn, who has led the NFL in field goal percentage over the past two seasons, per sources. There is optimism that a deal could ultimately happen, per sources.
Fairbairn, ideally, will be back under a new deal, but it won’t be inexpensive. His four-year, $17.65 million contract is expiring. The Texans definitely want Fairbairn back and are working on trying to get him extended, per league sources.”

“Punter Cameron Johnston, who set a record for the longest punt in franchise history, is a free agent the Texans would like to retain with his three-year, $8 million contract expiring, but they’re also evaluating several college punters at the combine, including Texas Tech standout Austin McNamara, and keeping their options open, as is Johnston. Barring a change, Johnston is likely heading to free agency. Among the NFL teams in need of a new punter: the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
 
Good rundown on all the FAs the team is looking at re-signing… or not. I would be concerned if Fairbairn and Johnston aren’t re-signed. I know they have to save somewhere but ST was a huge part of them winning (or losing when Fairbairn was out of the 2nd Jags game) this past season. I’d hate to see the unit take a step back going cheap at the positions.




The Texans are in active contract discussions with kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn, who has led the NFL in field goal percentage over the past two seasons, per sources. There is optimism that a deal could ultimately happen, per sources.
Fairbairn, ideally, will be back under a new deal, but it won’t be inexpensive. His four-year, $17.65 million contract is expiring. The Texans definitely want Fairbairn back and are working on trying to get him extended, per league sources.”

“Punter Cameron Johnston, who set a record for the longest punt in franchise history, is a free agent the Texans would like to retain with his three-year, $8 million contract expiring, but they’re also evaluating several college punters at the combine, including Texas Tech standout Austin McNamara, and keeping their options open, as is Johnston. Barring a change, Johnston is likely heading to free agency. Among the NFL teams in need of a new punter: the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
Interesting bit from your article:

Although the Texans have a lot of cap and cash at their disposal, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Caserio is planning a spending spree. The Texans plan to allocate some of their salary-cap space and financial commitments toward the future, including an expressed goal mutually shared to extend wide receiver Nico Collins.

“We have some flexibility relative to financial commitments that we might be able to make, but you don’t necessarily have to use all your money up in one year,” Caserio said. “You really look at your team in sort of two-year increments, so whatever you don’t do this year, that money is going to be used in future years.
 
I've been soaking up every resource I can as it relates to Texans FA and how that might impact the draft and the offseason generally. I've also taken some time to "read between the lines" with Meco, Nick et al. I've sort of condensed all of it, applied some logic to it, and compiled a comprehensive list of the big headlines related to FA/Draft. Note that a * is my speculation, but it's based on legitimate reasons to think so and isn't just wild speculation.

Offense -
QB - No changes likely. *Late round or UDFA rookie possible to stash on PS.
Oline - They will sign a FA RT or simply resign Fant to cover the Howard situation. Other than that, don't expect much movement at all. * Possible day 3 G/T for depth.
RB - They are very interested in a two-headed monster. Re-sign Devin and sign a tier 2 FA vet - Pollard, Swift, and Ekeler are all candidates. * I like Pollard the best in this group and he and Devin would form a nice duo. I also think they draft someone on day 3 at RB to add to the mix. DP has gone from starter to odd man out.
TE - They like Dalton, and he's going to be back. Possibly with the tag - we'll know soon. They prefer to sign him LT. Another day 3 addition in the draft is possible.
WR - They see Nico as the unquestioned #1. They want to sign an extension asap, possibly even by draft night. * So, it's very unlikely that they draft a day one WR. I could still see day 2 and will almost definitely add to WR by early on day 3. They still need depth and talent. * I'm also of the mindset that they look to sign a tier 3 WR on the open market, Mooney or Samuel is who I'm looking at, but Gabe Davis and a couple of others are on that tier.

Defense -
DE - They would like to sign Grenard, but they have a figure in mind and so far...no deal. He's more likely than not to hit the open market and leave. * If he leaves, look for the Texans to go after Christian Wilkins at DT. Different position, but I'm hearing they love him in this D. Under this scenerio, DE would be a day 1 or 2 selection. They could also add a DE depth piece in FA or resign Barnett who was solid.
DT - OTOH, they might be able to sign both Grenard and Rankins to extensions and keep the starting 4 in place. *Look for them to add a DT on day 1 or 2 even with this scenerio.
LB - In a perfect world, they would like to keep Cashman, but it's not looking likely. * Look for them to sign Azeez Al-Shaair if Blake leaves. He's probably not as talented, but lower cost and Demeco will get the best out of him.
CB - They are working hard to sign Nelson to a ST extension. * Even with that, look for a corner on day 1 or 2 of the draft.
S - No real smoke at this position * but my personal speculation is they will sign a depth type guy who can play ST in FA, and they will add a day 3 or UDFA S as well. They also have some guys returning from injury so there's no studs in the mix but there will be a lot of competition for spots. Hopefully Pitre has a come to Jesus moment this offseason!

ST -
PK - They are working hard to sign Fairbairn to an extension. * My guess - they get it done and he's here LT.
P - Like Cashman, they would like to sign him, but he may be pricing himself out of town. * Look for the Texans to move on, and draft a guy very late or a UDFA to compete with a FA journeyman vet. I have heard they like the kid from Texas Tech (Austin Mcnamara) but in any event, look for a new P next year.
 
I've been soaking up every resource I can as it relates to Texans FA and how that might impact the draft and the offseason generally. I've also taken some time to "read between the lines" with Meco, Nick et al. I've sort of condensed all of it, applied some logic to it, and compiled a comprehensive list of the big headlines related to FA/Draft. Note that a * is my speculation, but it's based on legitimate reasons to think so and isn't just wild speculation.

Offense -
QB - No changes likely. *Late round or UDFA rookie possible to stash on PS.
Oline - They will sign a FA RT or simply resign Fant to cover the Howard situation. Other than that, don't expect much movement at all. * Possible day 3 G/T for depth.
RB - They are very interested in a two-headed monster. Re-sign Devin and sign a tier 2 FA vet - Pollard, Swift, and Ekeler are all candidates. * I like Pollard the best in this group and he and Devin would form a nice duo. I also think they draft someone on day 3 at RB to add to the mix. DP has gone from starter to odd man out.
TE - They like Dalton, and he's going to be back. Possibly with the tag - we'll know soon. They prefer to sign him LT. Another day 3 addition in the draft is possible.
WR - They see Nico as the unquestioned #1. They want to sign an extension asap, possibly even by draft night. * So, it's very unlikely that they draft a day one WR. I could still see day 2 and will almost definitely add to WR by early on day 3. They still need depth and talent. * I'm also of the mindset that they look to sign a tier 3 WR on the open market, Mooney or Samuel is who I'm looking at, but Gabe Davis and a couple of others are on that tier.

Defense -
DE - They would like to sign Grenard, but they have a figure in mind and so far...no deal. He's more likely than not to hit the open market and leave. * If he leaves, look for the Texans to go after Christian Wilkins at DT. Different position, but I'm hearing they love him in this D. Under this scenerio, DE would be a day 1 or 2 selection. They could also add a DE depth piece in FA or resign Barnett who was solid.
DT - OTOH, they might be able to sign both Grenard and Rankins to extensions and keep the starting 4 in place. *Look for them to add a DT on day 1 or 2 even with this scenerio.
LB - In a perfect world, they would like to keep Cashman, but it's not looking likely. * Look for them to sign Azeez Al-Shaair if Blake leaves. He's probably not as talented, but lower cost and Demeco will get the best out of him.
CB - They are working hard to sign Nelson to a ST extension. * Even with that, look for a corner on day 1 or 2 of the draft.
S - No real smoke at this position * but my personal speculation is they will sign a depth type guy who can play ST in FA, and they will add a day 3 or UDFA S as well. They also have some guys returning from injury so there's no studs in the mix but there will be a lot of competition for spots. Hopefully Pitre has a come to Jesus moment this offseason!

ST -
PK - They are working hard to sign Fairbairn to an extension. * My guess - they get it done and he's here LT.
P - Like Cashman, they would like to sign him, but he may be pricing himself out of town. * Look for the Texans to move on, and draft a guy very late or a UDFA to compete with a FA journeyman vet. I have heard they like the kid from Texas Tech (Austin Mcnamara) but in any event, look for a new P next year.
The Texans have had meetings with 10 prospects widely projected to go in the first round. Of those, five are CBs (Rakestraw is kind of a marginal 1st). I'd say they are probably looking for Mitchell, Arnold, Wiggins, or McKinstry to drop to them. I'm curious how it's going to shake out.

I'd like to have Greenard back, but I fear some team is going to offer him a ridiculous amount of money. Wilkins would be a nice addition and I'd love to have Barnett back. I like Huff as part of a pass rush rotation.

LB is the position that most concerns me. Whatever signings they make in FA, I'll just have to trust DeMeco to bring them along. Hopefully To'oTo'o takes a leap in year 2, but right now we only have one legit starter under contract.
 
Antoine Winfield will turn 26 this summer, and I think he would have the most impact on this team as a free agent. They need someone with experience back there at Safety, and I think he would be an excellent fit to grow up with this team.
The Bucs just used up more than half their cap space on Mike Evans, and they plan to re-sign Baker. If they do give him a QB deal of 30-40m+ apy, they won't have much left to keep Winfield or anyone else. Tagging him would cost 17m, and they can't really afford to do that without letting Baker go.

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The Texans have had meetings with 10 prospects widely projected to go in the first round. Of those, five are CBs (Rakestraw is kind of a marginal 1st). I'd say they are probably looking for Mitchell, Arnold, Wiggins, or McKinstry to drop to them. I'm curious how it's going to shake out.

I'd like to have Greenard back, but I fear some team is going to offer him a ridiculous amount of money. Wilkins would be a nice addition and I'd love to have Barnett back. I like Huff as part of a pass rush rotation.

LB is the position that most concerns me. Whatever signings they make in FA, I'll just have to trust DeMeco to bring them along. Hopefully To'oTo'o takes a leap in year 2, but right now we only have one legit starter under contract.

Good post. I agree with much of it. I have corner as either day 1 or 2 - so yes, it's possible they draft a corner in the 1st. Especially so if they lose Nelson, but even signing Nelson wouldn't preclude it if they see their guy. Wiggins would be nice. I love what little I have seen of Mitchell, but I think he'll be gone. Same with Arnold. Once FA shakes out over the next several weeks, we'll have a better idea, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if the first 3 selections are some combo of CB, DT, and DE. LB is a day 2 possibility as well as WR. So, there are 5 position choices for 3 spots.
 
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