Defensive tackle D.J. Reader had a decent contract season for the Houston Texans, producing 52 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks in 15 games.
The former 2016 fifth-round pick from Clemson did not reach a contract extension during the season with the organization, and he is set to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year kicks off at 3:00 p.m. Central Time on March 18.
Reader’s impact on the team is not lost. In fact, coach Bill O’Brien, now the full-time general manager, emphasized what the 6-3, 347-pound interior defensive lineman brought to the team.
“D.J. is definitely in that category of smart, tough, and dependable,” O’Brien told reporters on Jan. 13. “He’s been a really good player for us ever since the day he walked in here.”
O’Brien said that what the organization will do with Reader and his representation is try to come to an equitable deal for both parties.
“So, we’re going to sit down with D.J., we’re going to talk and we’re going to try to do what’s best for both sides,” said O’Brien. “We’ll see where that goes.”
Reader made $2 million in his final year of his rookie contract with the Texans. According to Over The Cap, if Reader were to get a contract upwards of $2 million a year, it would land him in the top-10 category for annual money for a 3-4 defensive tackle.
“He’s an awesome guy, a guy that has played a lot of great football for us and that’s it,” O’Brien said.
If the Texans can’t come to an agreement with Reader in time, and they still want him around for the future, they could use the franchise tag. However, GM O’Brien didn’t want to get into specifics on the use of the franchise tag.
“I would just say that anything that’s available to us relative to what we believe would be best for our team, then we’ll talk about it and see if that’s the right thing to do,” said O’Brien.
Reader proved to be best for the defense, nearly making a Pro Bowl in 2019. If the Texans don’t believe he is in their future plans, then they will have another hole to fill in the offseason.