JUST A GUY (2023 FREE AGENCY)

The start of the 2023 league season for the NFL is now underway and that means trades and free agent signings can once again take place. There has already been a lot of movement around the league, and the Houston Texans have been a part of the action. Unfortunately for Texans fans Free Agency has gone pretty much the way it has for the last few years with the Texans signing a lot of older and average players to 1 or 2 year contracts and not making any big splashes. Not how you really want to go about rebuilding a team, but now in his 3rd year, that's been the M.O. for GM Nick Caserio.

Robert Woods

One of the first free agent signings the Texans made was for 31 year old WR Robert Woods, a 10 year veteran. Woods has never been selected to the Pro Bowl during his 10 year career and has just two 1,000 yard seasons under his belt, coming in consecutive seasons in 2018 and 2019 for the Rams. Woods started 15 games for the Titans last year and had just 527 yards to show for it with 2 TD and a career low 9.9 yards per reception. Woods 58.2% catch rate last year was the 2nd lowest of his career. Woods was certainly not brought here to be WR1 but the Texans still sign the 31 year old to a 2 year, $15.25M contract with $10M guaranteed.

Case Keenum

In an 'I didn't see that coming' move, the Texans sign former University of Houston and former Texans QB, Case Keenum, to a 2 year, $6.25M deal with $4M guaranteed. This will be Keenum's 3rd stint with the Texans. He was signed to the Texans practice squad in 2012. He took over for Matt Schaub midway through the 2013 season, and then was released by the Texans at the end of camp in 2014. He was sitting in a deer stand in 2014 when Bill O'Brien called to have him finish the fianl 2 games of the season due to some injuries the Texans were dealing with at QB. Keenum's best season was 2017 when he started 14 games for the Vikings taking them to the NFC Championship game. Case, at 35 years old with 10 seasons under his belt, is expected to mainly be a mentor to whatever rookie QB the Texans draft this year.

Another 30+ year old signing is former 49ers safety Jimmie Ward. The 32 year old, 9 year veteran has spent his entire career in the Bay Area. Ward was also given just a 2 year deal, this one worth $13M with $8.5M guaranteed. Ward, of course, has played under now Texans HC DeMeco Ryans for the last 6 years. Ward has 7 career INTs but 5 of those have come in the last 2 seasons.

Shaq Mason

The one player trade the Texans have made thus far is for ... you guessed it ... another 30+ year old. The Texans send a 6th round pick to Tampa Bay for a 7th rounder, and 8 year veteran guard Shaq Mason, who will turn 30 before the start of the regular season. Mason played his first 7 seasons with the Patriots so there's that New England connection still. Mason has 1 year left on his contract which will have him making $8.5M this season, then he becomes a free agent. So this trade is basically a 1 year deal unless the Texans extend or re-sign him.

A couple more 2 year deals for the Texans, both former Broncos. TE Andrew Beck (27 years old) was signed to a 2 year $6.25M deal with $4M guaranteed, and RB Mike Boone (28 years old) is signed for 2 years, $3.1M. Beck has 14 catches in his 4 year career for 159 yards and 1 TD. Boone spent the 1st 3 years of his 5 year career with the Vikings. He has just 99 career carries for 516 yards and 4 TD. Both of these players don't figure to contribute a whole lot yet the Texans are on the hook for nearly a $4M cap hit combined for 2023.

Rankins

DT Sheldon Rankins was the 12th overall pick in the 2016 draft by the Saints. The 29 year old, 7 year veteran has just 23½ career sacks with 8 in the 2018 season being his single season career high. Rankins hasn't had more than 3 sacks in a season for the last 4 years, the last 2 spent with the Jets. I think it's safe to say that Rankins was a bust for where he was selected in the draft. The Texans felt that was worth signing Rankins to a 1 year, $10.5M contract.

Other one year deals were given to former Cowboys WR Noah Brown, 27 and in entering his 7th season. Brown signed for 1 year at $3.1M with $2.25M guaranteed. Brown had 43 of his 82 career catches, 555 of his 980 career yards, and all 3 of his career TDs last season with Dallas. DE Chase Winovich was also signed to a 1 year deal worth $2.75M. The soon to be 28 year old, 4 year veteran had 5½ sacks in each of his 1st 2 seasons with the Patriots, but has just 1 sack the last 2 seasons. DT Hassan Ridgeway, with Ryans and the Niners last season, is a 28 year old, 7 year veteran with 10½ career sacks, just 4 in the last 3 seasons. The Texans sign Ridgeway to a 1 year, $4M deal with $3M guaranteed.

So once again Caserio signs a bunch of players to 1 or 2 year deals, and none of these players figure to have much impact on the team in 2023. And it sets the Texans up to again have a big roster turnover in 2024. Meanwhile Caserio lets some decent free agents of his own walk including DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, who came on strong at the end of last season with 5 sacks in his last 6 games. Okoronkwo signed a 3 year deal with the Browns so that evidently put the Texans out of the running seeing as how they only seem to do 1 and 2 year deals. The Texans also lose KR/DB Tremon Smith. Smith was primarily a kick returner in his 2 year stint with the Texans, but he saw a career high number of snaps on defense last year where he had his 1st 2 career INTs, and 3 forced fumbles, the firsts of his career their as well. He signs a 2 year, $5.5M deal with the Broncos.

Thomas

The one free agent of his own that Caserio does re-sign is DE Derek Rivers, 1 year, $990,000. Rivers has 1 career NFL start, and has played in just 5 games the last 2 seasons after missing the entire 2022 season with a biceps tear. Rivers not only has just 3½ career sacks, but he only has 11 career tackles. And this is the player Caserio decides to re-sign. Ugh!!! The Texans also re-sign CB M.J. Stewart, who spent most of his time on special teams last season, playing just 15% of the defensive snaps. Stewart is likely going to be in that same role again this year. DB Tavierre Thomas has also been re-signed to  1 year, $3M deal. Thomas, who missed 7 games last year due to a quad injury, will begin his 3rd season with the Texans.

This is just the first few days of free agency, so there's much more that can and probably will be done, but the Texans had the 3rd or 4th most cap space in the NFL and they're not really spending it on anyone. So far and once again, Caserio appears to be loading this team up with a bunch of JAGs (just a guy). None of the players mentioned have ever even been to a Pro Bowl. They're just guys, roster filler. Still really no playmakers on either side of the ball. So it appears the Texans will be relying solely on the draft to improve this team, and Caserio's drafts haven't been all that optimal thus far.