The big spending came and went on Monday, the first day that NFL teams could legally “tamper” with free agents from other teams and agree verbally to deals. (NOTE: Those deals can be officially signed on Wednesday afternoon.) The Houston Texans didn’t spend much time shopping in the Dior aisle of free agency, as they let other teams cause the Javon Hargraves and Jessie Bates of the world with salary cap space.
Instead, the Texans shopped in the bargain department again,, albeit in slightly glitzier aisles than 2021 and 2022, but it was all about sensible spending, nonetheless. The trajectory of the team will be determined by the young players they draft, particularly whatever quarterback they take, but for now, the veterans they’ve added in free agency (and via trade) fit a mold — physically tough, battle tested, and still with (hopefully) some good football left in the tank.
Here are the grades for the four most important moves the Texans have made so far this offseason:
SIGNED WR Robert Woods (2 years, $15.75 million, $10 million guaranteed)
Woods is a solid veteran, who was probably a victim of the gridlock that was the Tennessee Titans’ offense last season, where he had his lowest output in a fully healthy season in his career, with 53 catches for 527 yards, a meager 9.9 yards per catch. Woods would improve on, at the very least, the yards per catch by accident in 2023. More importantly, Woods is a very willing blocker on the edge, a necessity in the offense Texans OC Bobby Slowik plans to implement. This means a trade of Brandin Cooks is a near certainty sometime soon. GRADE: B+
SIGNED QB Case Keenum (2 years, $6.25 million, $4 million guaranteed)
Keenum was the veteran journeyman I was hoping for in this cycle of free agency. In his first stop as a Texan in 2013, he was young and overwhelmed,. In his second stint, in 2014, he was an emergency triage guy, and was a nice surprise. Now, he returns, having played for a half dozen other teams, and he will be viewed as the veteran voice in the quarterback room, and viewed as a guy who can win a few games for you, if he needs to be a stopgap. I love this signing for what it is. GRADE: A
SIGNED S Jimmie Ward (2 years, $13 million)
Ward was rated the 96th best player in the league by his peers coming into the 2022 season, and was viewed as one of the leaders of DeMeco Ryans’ defense in San Francisco. now, he is following his coach to Houston, on a very reasonable deal for a guy with Ward’s impact and energy level. Ward is considered one of the best tacklers in the league and should be a great example for second year safety Jalen Pitre as he continues to grow and evolve. GRADE: A-
TRADED 6th round pick for G SHAQ MASON and 7th round pick
This one came down on Tuesday morning. Mason has been a solid interior lineman throughout his career, most of it in New England from 2015 through 2021, so Caserio is very familiar with him. The Buccaneers were likely to make Mason a cap casualty and cut him, but the Texans were able to secure his services with the minor exchange of Day 3 draft capital. Mason, as of now will count $8.5 million against the 2023 salary cap. The Texans, in a corresponding move, released guard A.J. Cann, and will save $4.2 million against the cap. GRADE: B+
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This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
