The Houston Texans don’t seem that far away on defense.
Although the Texans gave up the second-most yards in the NFL last season and also the sixth-most points en route to a 4-13 finish, defensive coordinator Lovie Smith followed through with his philosophy on takeaways. The Texans were tied for the 10th-most turnovers last year with 25, the only team with a losing record to be in the top-10.
If Houston could add a couple quality free agent defenders, it may be enough to start cutting back on the yards allowed and points scored.
According to Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen from ESPN, one free agent defender who would be a good fit for Houston is Seattle Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs.
Why it makes sense: At some point GM Nick Caserio needs to find roster staples and leadership. Houston’s outlook at safety is uncertain, with Justin Reid hitting free agency. Assuming he’s healthy, Diggs is one of the game’s most underrated safeties. And he’s a native Texan. — Fowler
Scheme fit: Diggs is a back-end playmaker with the transition speed to drive top-down on the ball in Lovie Smith’s core Cover looks. Plus, he can run the alley and tackle in space. And the Texans need more talent in the secondary. — Bowen
The other free agent the Texans should sign in the duo’s opinion is Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch. The Cowboys took a “prove it” approach with their former 2018 first-round pick in 2021 and declined to pick up his fifth-year option. The former Boise State product tallied 77 combined tackles, four tackles for loss, a quarterback hit, 1.0 sack, an interception, and two pass breakups through 17 games, 16 of which he started. However, rookie Micah Parsons stole the show with a defensive rookie of the year performance.
In Houston, Vander Esch could play as a run-stopper, which is key in Smith’s scheme. The Texans got a career year out of Kamu Grugier-Hill with 108 combined tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, 3.0 sacks, three pass breakups, an interception, and three forced fumbles through 14 starts. The Texans also have 2021 fifth-rounder Garret Wallow waiting in the wings.