The Texans could be the perfect trade partner for this Pro Bowl cornerback

This offseason, the Houston Texans have spent a lot of time, effort, and various capital adding talent to their 2023 playoff roster.

It makes sense to take full advantage of a rookie quarterback contract while CJ Stroud is still on one, and that’s exactly what the Texans are doing. This offseason has been about surrounding Stroud with the talent needed to make a Super Bowl push. But the Texans may not be done yet.

In a recent article on Launderer’s ReportAlex Kay wrote about a few trades that could still happen this offseason and brought up the Texans in reference to New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore.

Lattimore’s contract only has a cap hit of $14.6 million in 2024, but will reach over $31 million in 2025, making life extremely difficult for the Saints, financially speaking.

The proposed exchange would look like this:

Kay brings up a good point regarding the Saints’ cap situation in that they are projected to be over the 2025 cap by almost $74 million, which is by far the highest number in the league. This should come as no surprise, as the Saints are known for spending money and fixing these issues later.

As for why this makes sense for the Texans? Kay wrote:

“The Texans spent the offseason bringing in veterans to make a deep run after last year’s surprise trip to the divisional round. After unearthing a franchise quarterback in CJ Stroud, the brass Houston is clearly trying to maximize the team’s Super Bowl chances by bringing in expensive pieces that the team can only afford while Stroud is locked into a cheap, rookie-scale contract.

Even after adding a host of proven talents like Stefon Diggs, Danielle Hunter, Denico Autry, Azeez Al-Shaair and Joe Mixon this offseason, Houston still has $23 million in cap space for 2024 and has nearly $46 million of dollars in projected cap space for 2025. That’s more than enough to accommodate Lattimore’s contract while still leaving some wiggle room for additional roster building.”

Kay also talked about rookie Kamari Lassiter who could sit and develop, although the Texans could slide him into the slot as well.

Houston has both Jeff Okudah and CJ Henderson as potential starters, but Texans fans might feel a little more confident in the four-time Pro Bowler taking over the starting spot for the foreseeable future. Okudah and Henderson are far from sure at this point.