Texans 'Best Fit' For 3 ESPN Top 50 NFL Free Agents
The Houston Texans are in the midst of a major rebuild heading into the 2023 season.
That project began with the hiring of new head coach DeMeco Ryans, who has begun to assemble a completely new staff underneath him.
It will continue in the NFL Draft later this spring as well, with the Texans holding two first-round picks, including the No. 2 overall pick, which they are widely expected to use on a quarterback.
However, the Texans will also have plenty of maneuverability this offseason in the free agency market, to assist in the rebuild.
And according to ESPN, there are three of the NFL's top 50 free agents whose 'best fit' would be in Houston.
First up for the Texans was ESPN's No. 20 overall free agent, Saints defensive end, Marcus Davenport.
Davenport, who was once the No. 14 overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, spent five years in New Orleans, racking up 142 tackles, 60 quarterback hits, 21.5 sacks, 25 tackles for loss, and seven forced fumbles over that time.
His best season came in 2021, in which he had nine sacks, 16 quarterback hits and nine tackles for loss.
And according to ESPN, he could be the kind of edge rusher Ryans is looking for in his defense.
Says ESPN:
New Houston coach DeMeco Ryans needs edge defenders for his system, and Davenport fits here given his physical traits in both base and sub-packages. Davenport could be schemed to isolate in one-on-one pass-rush matchups or deployed on stunts/slants from the Texans' loaded fronts. And at 6-foot-6 and 262 pounds, he can also set an edge against the run. While the production declined for Davenport in '22 (0.5 sacks, 20 pressures), he did record nine sacks and three forced fumbles in 2021.
However, Davenport is not the only edge rusher ESPN believes that the Texans should pursue, with former Raiders and Jaguars defensive end, Arden Key.
Key, who has bounced around since leaving the Raiders, had a solid season with Jacksonville last year, finishing with 4.5 sacks and 15 hits on the quarterback.
He also has previously played under Ryans in San Francisco, finishing that season with a career-best in sacks (6.5), quarterback hits (17) and tackles for loss (five) in that system.
ESPN believes he could fo it again in Houston:
Key played for Ryans, the Texans' new coach, in San Francisco in 2021, and he has produced 11 sacks over his past two seasons (the most recent of which in Jacksonville). He has the positional flexibility to be deployed as an interior/edge rusher in Houston, and at 6-foot-5, Key has the short-area speed to create pocket disruption.
Another big area of need for the Texans is a playmaker at wide receiver.
And while many believe the Texans could add that playmaker in the draft at No. 12, the prevailing theory is also that they should try and chase one in free agency as well.
Enter Patriots wideout Jakobi Meyers, who previously played under Texans general manager Nick Caserio in New England, and is the kind of middle-of-the-field target the Texans will sorely need for their new rookie QB.
The Texans will be in position to draft a rookie quarterback with the No. 2 pick this spring, and Meyers is a fit here as a nuanced route runner with a 6-foot-2 frame and strong hands to work the middle of the field. Last season in New England, Meyers caught 47 of his 67 targets on throws inside the numbers. He's an intermediate option with outside flex, and he can stretch defenses on deep overs or crossers. And there's also a history here: Houston general manager Nick Caserio spent 20 seasons with the Patriots before getting hired by the Texans.
Last season, Meyers hauled in 67 catches for 804 yards and six scores on 96 targets, averaging 12 yards per catch.
So will the Texans be able to reel in all three of these free agents?
That remains to be seen, but, thanks to system fit and previous relationships, each of the three could find the new era in Houston to be quite compelling.
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