Ben Arthur
AFC South Reporter
The Texans entered this offseason in prime position to be aggressive in building around C.J. Stroud with plenty of cap space. And to this point, with the new league year starting, they’ve followed through — on defense.
Houston is revamping the unit under coach DeMeco Ryans. But will it be enough to close the gap with the Chiefs and Ravens in the AFC?
The Texans’ biggest splash came Tuesday, when they agreed to terms with free-agent defensive end Danielle Hunter on a reported two-year deal for $49 million, including $48 million guaranteed. They’ve also added a pair of former Titans: linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (reported three years, $34 million deal) and versatile defensive lineman Denico Autry (two years, $20 million).
Defensive lineman Foley Fatukasi and cornerbacks Jeff Okudah and Lonnie Johnson Jr. — a Texans second-round pick in 2019 — are headed to Houston as well. As of early Wednesday afternoon, the Texans hadn’t agreed to terms with an outside free agent on offense (they did, however, acquire veteran running back Joe Mixon from the Cincinnati Bengals).
On paper, Hunter is an upgrade on the edge from Jonathan Greenard, who’s joining the Vikings on a reported four-year, $76 million deal. The 29-year-old Hunter last season tied an NFL-high 23 tackles for loss and ranked fifth with 16.5 sacks. By comparison, Greenard tied for 10th in sacks (12.5) and 13th in TFLs (14).
Greenard posted better numbers than Hunter in stop rate (7.6% to 6.3%) and pressure rate (15.7% to 14.6%), according to Next Gen Stats. He’s also three years younger. But Hunter is a top-end talent to pair with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Will Anderson Jr., and his short-term contract is better suited for maximizing the window of Stroud’s rookie contract. Hunter’s two-year deal expires in the 2026 offseason, when Stroud becomes extension eligible.
It’s difficult to say the Texans made a…
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Publish date : 2024-03-13 19:45:16
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