The Houston Texans should continue to pursue free agents

The NFL offseason continues and the Houston Texans have three more sessions of team activities held this week, then a week of mandatory minicamp the first week of June. I had the chance to lay eyes on the team, and it definitely has the look and feel of a team ready to fight for big things in 2024.

However, improvements can always be made, and there are still a number of accomplished veteran free agents out there for the right price. Now, let’s be clear, these veterans are still free agents for a reason. Perhaps they are looking for more money than the market believes they are worth. Maybe they don’t want to attend activities like “mandatory minicamp.” Maybe they are in a state of physical disrepair.

The NFL’s Instagram account posted a list of the ten hottest remaining free agents late last week. Let’s go through the list and quickly determine which ones might be a good fit for the Texans:

JUSTIN SIMMONS
Simmons was a four-time second-team All Pro with the Broncos and was let go because he made too much money, not because his football skills had declined significantly. At the right price, Simmons is a great addition to any team.
TEXANS TARGET VERDICT: YES

STEPHON GILMORE, CB
Gilmore is familiar with Texans general manager Nick Caserio, as he was the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year as a New England Patriot. You can never have too many cornerbacks, and the corner spot opposite Derek Stingley is very much up for grabs.
TEXANS TARGET VERDICT: YES

DALVIN COOK, RB
Cook is an appropriate last name here, as “cooked” is the perfect adjective to describe the potential eighth-grade running back. In his prime, with the Vikings, Cook was very good, but when he was a New York Jet last season against the Texans, every run he made felt like the Jets were losing the game.
TEXANS TARGET VERDICT: NO

XAVIEN HOWARD, CB
In his prime, Howard was one of the best corners in football. This one is a lot like the Gilmore verdict, only Howard is from Houston and openly campaigned to become a Texan.
TEXANS TARGET VERDICT: YES

CALAIS CAMPBELL, DL
Campbell has one of the most remarkable career arcs in NFL history. He is a six-time Pro Bowler and will be 38 years old before the start of the upcoming season. Campbell is as durable as they come and would look great as a situational defensive lineman with the other veterans the Texans have recruited. Plus, he fits this team’s model of leadership, having won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2019.
TEXANS TARGET VERDICT: YES

MICHAEL THOMAS, WR
IN 2018 and 2019, Thomas was a first-team All Pro and one of the best receivers in football. However, from 2020 to 2023, he started a total of 15 games, due to various injuries. No thanks.
TEXANS TARGET VERDICT: NO

JAMAL ADAMS, S
Adams was one of the best safeties in football with the Jets, peaking in first-team All Pro honors in 2019. However, the Jets decided to trade Adams during the 2020 offseason, after several critical remarks about management of the Jets. The Seahawks sent two first-round picks to the Jets in the deal, and the deal worked out poorly for Seattle. In four seasons, Adams only played in 34 games. Again, no thanks.
TEXANS TARGET VERDICT: NO

HUNTER RENFROE, WR
Renfroe has been a casualty for the Raiders, but the Texans are already stacked at wide receiver. Renfore is probably looking for a place where he can get on the field and recover.
TEXANS TARGET VERDICT: NO

SHAQUILLE LEONARD, LB
Leonard was released by the Colts midway through last season and ended up signing with the Eagles. I’m slightly surprised the Texans didn’t take a flyer on him, considering how many veterans they brought in off the waiver wire last season. This time, at a knockdown price, why not?
TEXANS TARGET VERDICT: YES

DAVID BAKHTIARI, OL
I’m sure Bakhtiari is probably looking for a better opportunity than “competing with Blake Fisher and Charlie Heck” for a backup tackle spot.
TEXANS TARGET VERDICT: NO

So this is it ! Five new names to add to the radar: Simmons, Gilmore, Howard, Campbell and Leonard.

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