5 Splashy Free Agents the Texans Could Target With $30M to Spend

The NFL calendar hits a key point of it's long offseason on the afternoon of June 1st.

On that June 1st date, teams are able to gain additional flexibility with their salary cap situations. Post-June 1 designations allow certain dead money charges to be spread over future years, reduce their current cap hit, and thus creates more spending power from what was had earlier in the offseason.

For the Houston Texans, they've put themselves in a position to have some immense cap space available, even after a busy offseason of spending on external talent and extending key names in the building.

According to OverTheCap, the Texans rank eighth in the NFL for effective cap space with $30.2 million.

Updated NFL Salary Cap Space for all 32 teams with Post June 1 savings per https://t.co/9aERkcrEMN pic.twitter.com/7080JFQsrf
— Troy_OTC (@TexansCap) June 1, 2026

That financial flexibility gives the Texans a real opportunity to spend on a big contract for a significant free agent name left on the market.

There's no telling whether or not the Texans would truly be interested in adding a big-name veteran at this point in the offseason. Perhaps Houston is content with their talent in the building, and want to continue growing with them from now until the start of next season.

But for argument’s sake, let's say the Texans are interested in spending big one last time this offseason before getting Week 1 underway. Here's a look at five free agents left on the market who could make sense to bring in:

Stefon Diggs | WR

New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (8) celebrates after a play during a game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, Dec 28, 2025, East Rutherford, NJ, USA. | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After a fully healthy season with the New England Patriots following his one-year stint with the Texans, Diggs still remains on the free agent market for the taking.

And through that 2025 campaign in Foxborough––where he logged over 1,000 yards playing around 50% of the total offensive snaps––he proved he can be an immensely impactful pass-catcher without being a true No. 1 alpha. So why not come back to a new-look Houston receiver corps to bring that exact spark?

The Texans do have a loaded receiver room as is. They've currently got 13 total names at wideout on their 90-man roster as-is. Five of those feel like locks to make the roster (Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Tank Dell, Xavier Hutchinson).

However, if Houston wanted to add one final spark to the room to take this group over the top, it's hard to find many better veteran options than Diggs when factoring in his recent production and existing chemistry with this Texans offense.

Jonnu Smith | TE

Dec 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith (81) warms up before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

One of the Texans' priorities when it comes to personnel changes this offseason centered upon tweaking the tight end room. They signed Foster Moreau to add someone with an edge in the blocking department, and drafted Marlin Klein in the second round for their future at the position.

But neither Moreau nor Klein will add the type of receiving upside that a vertical threat like Jonnu Smith possesses, which makes him at least an intriguing candidate to add to the roster as a contender to add even more depth to the tight end position.

Smith is fresh off his worst year in terms of receiving numbers with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But that offense wasn't exactly tailored to his strengths. His yards per reception was cut in half, and he was targeted half as many times as he was in his 2024 Pro Bowl season with the Miami Dolphins.

If the Texans wanted another receiving threat at tight end to pair next to Dalton Schultz, Smith could be a solid stopgap for one season while Klein develops in his first year.

Najee Harris | RB

May 20, 2025; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris (22) catches the ball during offseason workouts at The Bolt. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Texans' running back depth behind their top two players on the depth chart—David Montgomery and Woody Marks—is a bit of a question mark to say the least. That competition for RB3 will likely come down to their pair of UDFAs, along with Jawhar Jordan and British Brooks, who were on last year's roster.

Let's say Montgomery or Marks goes down with an injury at some point this season. It makes this Texans running back room look really thin, really fast. So if Houston did want to add one final piece to the mix in their backfield, it wouldn't be the worst investment on a short-term deal.

One name who could make sense is Najee Harris. He is coming fresh off a torn Achilles last season that adds a layer of risk, but the Texans don't need him to be a 15-carry-per game guy like he was with the Steelers.

Instead, he could be utilized as another depth piece with size and versatility both on the ground and as a receiving threat, and create a three-man tandem in the backfield of himself, Montgomery, and Marks that's well-insulated, and prevents a situation similar to last year's backfield where they were severely shorthanded.

Von Miller | EDGE

Dec 7, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Washington Commanders outside linebacker Von Miller (24) sacks Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) during the first half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

On the defensive side, the Texans' starting unit is as strong as ever. But you can never have enough depth on the defensive line, especially off the edge. Right now, Houston's edge depth is headlined by Dylan Horton and recent waiver addition Ali Gaye.

Perhaps the Texans are confident in what either can bring to the table for 2026, but bringing in a tenured veteran as an experienced and reliable EDGE3 on the depth chart could pay massive dividends come time for next season.

Von Miller could check that box of bringing that desired edge depth. He's coming off his age-36 season with the Washington Commanders, having logged a total of nine sacks while playing less than 40% of total defensive snaps.

It showcases that he can still be a noticeably impactful pass-rusher without being a focal point on the front seven like he was a decade ago with the Denver Broncos. So the Texans should at least give him a look.

Jadevon Clowney | EDGE

Nov 3, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (42) celebrates after he sacks Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

With the same logic applied surrounding Miller's fit in Houston, why not give the Texans' 2014 first-overall pick in Jadeveon Clowney a look as well?

The case is virtually identical to Miller's. Clowney played in just 44% of the Dallas Cowboys' defensive snaps in 2025 to secure a total of 8.5 sacks; his third time in the past five years logging at least eight sacks in a season.

Considering he's thrived as a rotational edge rusher, it makes perfect sense for to investigate his fit for the same role in Houston, albeit in a better group of personnel than what Dallas provides. Comparatively to Miller, he's also a few years younger, and he's got history with the team that could make for a pretty poetic signing as well.

Of anyone on this list, Clowney might be the most worthwhile name to look towards, and when factoring in Houston's $30 million to spend, finding the money to afford him on a short-term deal would be easy to dig up.

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