Most Underrated Offseason Move the Texans Made

The Houston Texans made several moves across the NFL offseason. Which is the most overlooked?

Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio walks on the field before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Texans have been among the busiest teams in the NFL through the past few months when it comes to offseason roster moves.

Between a hectic draft consisting of eight total picks, lucrative extensions, multiple trades made in the weeks before, and several veterans brought in via free agency, the Texans have maintained a keen sense of aggressiveness in order to get this roster rounded out for 2026.

That frenzy of moves, however, can leave a few of Houston's new additions brought in a bit overlooked for how impactful they could turn out to be this coming season––perhaps the most underrated being the Texans' signing of former Philadelphia Eagles safety Reed Blankenship, who might take this already-stout secondary to the next level.

Is Reed Blankenship the Texans' Most Underrated Offseason Addition?

Oct 26, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles safety Reed Blankenship (32) against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Sure, it could be argued that Blankenship might not be the most ideal candidate to be deemed as the most "underrated" of the Texans' offseason, considering he was signed to the highest total value contract of any external free agent–– coming in at just under $25 million.

But even with that steep contract coming his way, it feels like much of the focus surrounding the Texans' offseason and their improvements made throughout have been primarily focused on their offensive line upgrades.

Keylan Rutledge, Wyatt Teller, Braden Smith, and multiple other names will come into the mix as likely starting, impact players to help stabilize some of the recent instability on the offensive line. 

And those upgrades in the trenches will be impactful towards the Texans' bottom line. The move made to acquire Blankenship on less than $10 million annually, and round out this already-stout defense, might take the cake as Houston's best value move of the offseason, and their best overall.

A Perfect Finishing Touch in the Secondary

The Texans' safety depth last year was a revolving door, leading to multiple names like C.J. Gardner-Johnson, M.J. Stewart, Jaylen Reed, and Myles Bryant all claiming the starting spot opposite Calen Bullock throughout the season.

Houston's secondary is already rock-solid with Bullock, the elite pairing on the boundary with Derek Stingley and Kamari Lassiter, and with nickel Jalen Pitre. But that final spot in the back-end of the defense had to be ironed out to truly make this group as well-rounded as it can be.

Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Houston Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter (4) and Houston Texans safety Jalen Pitre (5) celebrate after an interception during the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Texans' lead decision-makers realized this. And therefore, they opted to make a bit of a surprising investment in Blankenship on the open market, bringing another layer of toughness and physicality to the secondary, championship pedigree, and a consistent starter for 50 games on a high-end defense in Philly across four seasons.

He's coming off three straight seasons with 75 tackles or more, logging a combined eight interceptions throughout, and at age 27 headed into next season, it feels like he has several more good years ahead of him for his next stop in Houston.

Bottom Line

While an unexpected move from the Texans' brass initially, the move has only looked even better over time.

Blankenship allows Houston to have a secondary with virtually zero holes to poke through in the entire secondary and coverage, and makes things even easier for this prolific pass rush to get that extra second of time to get to the quarterback.

As if this Texans defense couldn't get any better, Blankenship slotting in as a day-one starter does just that. And in due time, it might be looked back on as the best and most impactful free agent addition Houston made through their bundle of veteran signings.

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