The Houston Texans shored up roster deficiencies in free agency, but it wasn’t good enough to get them out of the bottom-5 of NFL teams.
According to Amelia Probst from Pro Football Focus, the Texans are the 31st-ranked team in the league ahead of the 2023 NFL draft. The biggest gain for Houston in free agency was safety Jimmie Ward, while the departure of tight end Jordan Akins to the Cleveland Browns was considered the Texans’ biggest loss.
The Texans made some decent moves in free agency. They added receivers in Robert Woods, Dalton Schultz and Andrew Beck and proven running backs in Devin Singletary and Mike Boone.
They also added to their offensive line by signing guard Shaq Mason.
Their defense was elevated by the signing of one of the best safeties in the league in Jimmie Ward. The Texans’ defense was graded 31st in the league last season, so they need all the help they can get.
While a second-to-last placement is understandable, it does undercut how improved the Texans have become at specific areas thanks to their free agent signings and trades alone.
With the Mason addition, Houston has a fortified offensive line with Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard as the bookends. Former 2022 first-round guard Kenyon Green will maintain the left side. With that type of blocking up front, the Texans should be able to keep their quarterback upright or provide running lanes for sensational running back Dameon Pierce.
Ward will be a part of a tandem alongside Jalen Pitre, who led the Texans with 147 combined tackles and five interceptions as a rookie. Houston’s secondary should be considerably improved as a result.
Across the rest of the AFC South, the Indianapolis Colts were the worst team in the league at No. 32. The Tennessee Titans were No. 23. The Jacksonville Jaguars came in at No. 12.
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