D.J. Reader, DL, Houston Texans
The Texans have nearly $54 million in cap space after announcing that they’ll let cornerback Johnathan Joseph try free agency, but with Joseph and Bradley Roby as free agents, the Texans also need almost every component of a new secondary — which they would likely need even if Joseph and Roby were to re-sign. That doesn’t likely leave a lot of room elsewhere, which could price Houston out of Reader, who they stole with a fifth-round pick in the 2016 draft. The Clemson alum has just 6.5 sacks over a four-year NFL career, which shows you precisely how incomplete sacks are when determining the ultimate value of a defensive lineman — especially an interior defensive lineman.
Reader had 36 total pressures in the regular and post-season, and he was one of the more astute and productive run-stopping interior linemen in the NFL from the nose tackle and three-tech positions. At 6-foot-3 and 347 pounds, Reader may be built like a fire hydrant, but he has the short-area speed, quickness through the gaps, hand-fighting ability, and penetrative force to be a dominant addition to any defensive front. Spotrac estimates that Reader could get a deal that averages nearly $12 million per month based on market value, and that’s not out of the question at all.