The Houston Texans could be in the position to add to their defensive line this offseason in free agency.
While pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. proved to be a stud during his rookie season, the Texans could have a hole on the other side of the defensive line if the team doesn’t retain fellow edge rusher Jonathan Greenard in free agency. There could be several big-name players in the open market this spring, and Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger wrote that the Texans could be a landing spot for Carolina Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns or San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Chase Young.
Burns will be one of the biggest defensive free agents this offseason if he and the Panthers can’t agree on a long-term extension. He reportedly sought a contract worth at least $30 million per year before he was given the franchise tag before the 2023 season, according to ESPN’s David Newton, after he wracked up 12.5 sacks the previous year. This season, Burns accrued nine sacks.
That would be a lot of money to shell out for an edge rusher, especially since Greenard likely won’t command that type of contract. But Burns (who’ll be 26 in April) is bigger physically and has been consistently productive during his NFL career. He’s also less injury-prone than Greenard, who missed two games this past season but has never played a full season’s slate of games.
Young was the other big-name Spielberger linked to Houston. The No. 2 overall pick by the Washington Commanders won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2020 but failed to live up to the hype in the years after his first season. Young tallied 7.5 sacks in 2020 but has just nine sacks combined over the past three seasons. He also played in only 12 games from 2021-2022 while he recovered from an Achilles injury.
Young (who’ll be 25 in April) spent the final nine games of the 2023 season with the 49ers but managed just 2.5 sacks and nine quarterback hits. He sacked Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, but otherwise failed to many a sizable impact on the San Francisco defense. It’s unclear what type of deal Young would want, but perhaps a one-year prove it deal would incentivize him to prove he is still an adept NFL pass rusher.
Za’Darius Smith of the Cleveland Browns and Romeo Okwara of the Detroit Lions were also named as possible options for the Texans. Smith will be 32 in October and wracked up 5.5 sacks this past season. Okwara will be 29 and tallied just 2.0 sacks in 2023.
As for Greenard, Spielberger wrote that either the Chicago Bears of AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts could swoop in and snag the Texans edge rusher.