Texans Free Agency 2018 Tracker (Updated)

The Texans entered this year's free agency with an enormous amount of cap space and many holes to fill. After the Brock Osweiler trade with the Browns a year ago, the Texans lost their valuable 1st and 2nd round pick. This makes the Texans dependent on free agency to acquire players that would plug their deficits and holes.

Last season, prior to Deshaun Watson's injury, the Texans excelled on offense. Will Fuller and Deandre Hopkins were a great tandem of receivers. Over that period of time, the Texans averaged more than 40 points a game. On the other side, the defense struggled greatly. The defensive line was impermeable, but their Texans passing defense was ranked among the worst in the league. After Deshaun Watson's injury, other weaknesses started to appear. One glaring problem was the porous offensive line. The offensive line were unintelligent, under experienced, and were to weak. The offensive line's mistake was a main catalyst for the Texans' downfall and disappointing season.

With this precursor, the Texans were under pressure to sign players that would permanently plug the holes at the various positions. Going into the offseason, many pundits predicted that the Texans would attract big names such as Andrew Norwell, Nate Solder, and Malcolm Butler. Unfortunately, the Texans were not able to pull such big names because the Texans deemed it intelligent not to waste most of its cap space on only one good player instead of multiple average starters.

Aaron Colvin

Aaron Colvin was a slot cornerback when he was in with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who sported the best cornerbacks and passing defense in the league. Aaron Colvin played an important role, but was a backup to both AJ Bouye and Jalen Ramsey. Colvin, at 6 feet, is suited to play on the outside. Aaron Colvin, who has been taught by the best cornerbacks in the league, is ready to lead this young and developing group of cornerbacks on the Texans. According to the Pro Football Focus, Aaron Colvin was ranked higher when compared to the cornerbacks on the Texans.

Seantrel Henderson

Seantrel Henderson is an offensive linemen who played for the Buffalo Bills for the past two years. Despite starting only 4 games over the past 2 seasons, Henderson is still a better option than previous offensive linemen such as Brian Giacomini. One main reason that Henderson missed so much time was due to his diagnosis of Crohn's disease. Although this will play a major factor, the signing of Henderson adds depth to the tackle position. Despite adding Henderson, his lack of experience and his frequency for injuries means that the Texans need to add another tackle either through free agency or the draft.

Zach Fulton

Zach Fulton is an important addition to the Texans' offensive line. After losing the sweepstakes for Nate Solder and Andrew Norwell, the Texans had to settle for Fulton who had playoff experience as a starter for the potent and explosive Kansas City Chiefs, where he protected Alex Smith. Zach Fulton is a critical signing for the Texans as he not only plugs the hole in the offensive line, but also displays versatility as he played both center and guard for the oft-injured Kansas City offensive line.

Senio Kelemete

Senio Kelemete agreed to a 3 year deal with the Texans. He was an essential member of the Saints offensive line. He displayed his versatility throughout as he played 5 different positions throughout the season. Additionally, Senio Kelemete is a healthy option that will be able to easily fit in to the Texans offensive line that would stay healthy for a majority of the season. He helped create one of best offensive lines in the NFL with the Saints and also started in the playoffs for the Saints.

Jonathan Joseph

Extending Jonathan Joseph's contract allows Joseph to continue his legacy with the Texans and end in the place where his legacy was born. Jonathan Joseph is key to the Texans as he is the leader for the Texans' young secondary and pairing him with Aaron Colvin would be a great improvement compared to last year. Last season, Jonathan Joseph put up mediocre numbers with 2 interceptions and 45 tackles. Most importantly though, Joseph's leadership in the locker room motivates fellow players. His veteran experience is critical for the young Texans team. Throughout his twelve year career, Joseph has been selected to two Pro Bowls.

Johnson Bademosi

On Friday morning, the Texans made an under-the-radar move that will make a great impact moving forward. They signed the former Patriots special teams standout, Johnson Bademosi. Signing the seven year veteran out of Stanford University greatly improves the Texans' special teams squad, who was abysmal last year. Bademosi is ranked second in total special teams tackles since coming in the league in 2012. This signing is tremendous for the Texans, whose special teams has been awful and underperforming the last couple of years. Bademosi also has experience at cornerback, starting three games last year for the Patriots. Not only does Bademosi contribute on special teams, but he also gives depth for the Texans in terms of the secondary. His contract is the highest that a special teams player has been paid in NFL history at 6.25 million dollars over 2 years. Expect Bademosi to live up to that cost.

Tyrann Mathieu

On Friday evening, the Houston Texans surprised fans by signing Tyrann Mathieu. The former LSU standout played safety with the Cardinals since being drafted out of the 3rd round in 2013. After missing out on star players like Malcolm Butler, the Texans were able to cash in by signing Tyrann Mathieu, who was an All-Pro in 2015. Tyrann Mathieu not only brings experience to this Texans team, but also brings a playmaker in the defense. This addition strengthens the Texans defense. Along with Aaron Colvin, the Texans now sport a strong secondary and can return to the best defense in the AFC South. Mathieu's contract is a 1 year, $7 million deal. This short term contract is low-risk for a player who gets injured often.