http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/pag...fseason-trades-free-agency-cuts-bill-barnwell Houston Texans 1. Use the savings from cutting Brian Cushing to lock up Benardrick McKinney. The Texans have more than $65 million in cap room to work with after cutting Cushing, their longtime inside linebacker. Houston drafted Zach Cunningham in the second round in 2017 to serve as Cushing's successor. Cunningham was pushed into the lineup early after Cushing was suspended for 10 games, and while he had an inconsistent rookie season, he showed enough to justify a role in the starting lineup and force Cushing aside. The Texans freed up nearly $8 million by releasing Cushing, and much of that money could go to a fellow inside linebacker. The run-thumping McKinney is in line for an extension as he enters the final year of his deal, and while he's not enough of a threat in pass coverage to get a truly top-level inside linebacker deal, the Mississippi State product should be able to top the four-year, $38-million extension Christian Kirksey signed with the Browns last year. 2. Sign at least one offensive lineman. The Houston offensive line is a mess. Duane Brown was traded and not replaced. Xavier Su'a-Filo was a Texans punching bag and is now a free agent. Jeff Allen hasn't lived up to the free-agent deal he signed after leaving the Chiefs and wasn't good at guard before being moved to left tackle out of sheer desperation, where he committed three consecutive false starts on one fourth-quarter drive. Chris Clark and Breno Giacomini are both free agents. Derek Newton is recovering after rupturing both of his patellar tendons in 2016 and might never play again. This is a mess. The Texans will line up Nick Martin at center and probably bring back Allen, if only because there was a time in the past when he was a competent player. I'd suggest that the Texans draft linemen, but Cleveland owns their first- and second-round picks as a result of the Deshaun Watson and Brock Osweiler trades, meaning that Houston probably won't be looking at many starting-caliber tackles in the third round. As a result, new general manager Brian Gaine is going to have to go to the free-agent market and probably overpay to win on at least one lineman. The problem: There really aren't many good offensive linemen out there. The Texans will be linked to Nate Solder because of Bill O'Brien's Patriots connection, but O'Brien overlapped with Solder for only one year, and guys whom the Patriots allow to leave don't exactly have a great track record with their new teams. Guys like Greg Robinson and Donald Stephenson haven't looked good as starters. The Texans probably have to get creative. They could look at Steelers utility lineman Chris Hubbard, who has been very useful at multiple positions for Pittsburgh, and pay him to be a full-time right tackle. They could compete for Justin Pugh, a college left tackle who played both guard and tackle for the Giants, and hope that he's good enough to play on the edge on a full-time basis. They'll also be in the market for cap casualties. If the Bills want to move on from Cordy Glenn or the Eagles decide to release Jason Peters, the Texans should be one of the first teams on the phone. More marginal contributors like Austin Howard, Ben Ijalana and Jared Veldheer should also be on Houston's radar. The Texans don't really have much of a choice but to be in the free-agent market up front. 3. Extend Jadeveon Clowney. Clowney has continued to improve during each of his seasons as a pro and delivered his most productive season in 2017, racking up 9.5 sacks and 21 quarterback knockdowns as the team's primary pass-rush weapon. More importantly, he stayed healthy, playing in 16 games for the first time. The Texans will always have concerns about Clowney's knee in the back of their mind, but there's no way they can let him leave as he enters the fifth-year option season of his rookie deal. The former first overall pick isn't going to be cheap, because some team is going to offer him $18 million per year if he hits free agency next year. Clowney's representation will probably wait until the offseason settles and we see what Ezekiel Ansah and DeMarcus Lawrence get in long-term deals before negotiating an extension. The Texans could be looking at a five-year, $90 million extension with more than $50 million due over three years to keep Clowney around for years to come. 4. Shop Whitney Mercilus for an offensive lineman or a 2018 pick. The Texans have the luxury of three upper-echelon pass-rushers, although they are surely concerned about J.J. Watt's future given that the former Defensive Player of the Year has missed the better part of two seasons with injuries. Mercilus is a valuable third member of their pass-rush rotation, and with two years and $11.2 million remaining on his contract extension, he's a bargain relative to the going rates for pass-rushers in free agency. The Texans also desperately need help at other positions, notably along the offensive line, and have less draft capital to work with than any other team. Mercilus still has two years left on his deal, but the Texans probably won't be signing him to an extension, given their investment in Watt and their investment to come in Clowney. Gaine should put Mercilus out on the free market and look to see if other teams are willing to offer up a meaningful return. Look at a team like the Buccaneers, who finished dead last in sack rate in 2017 and have spent years looking for a useful pass-rusher. If they strike out in free agency, could the Texans convince the Bucs to part with the 38th pick in the draft for Mercilus and the 99th selection? Would the Bills, who finished 28th in adjusted sack rate, build a package around Glenn to add Mercilus? The Texans don't need to trade Mercilus, and if the offers are underwhelming, the Illinois product would remain a valuable part of the defense. With the offensive line in truly disastrous shape and the team down multiple draft picks, though, they have to be creative. 5. Pick up Kevin Johnson's fifth-year option. The Texans chose not to franchise or otherwise re-sign A.J. Bouye in part because of Johnson, who was impressive as a rookie but missed 10 games in 2016 with a fractured foot (opening the door for Bouye) and four more in 2017 after spraining his MCL. The Texans were probably expecting Johnson to move into the starting lineup in 2018 for Johnathan Joseph, but Joseph, an unrestricted free agent, still might return to Houston, and Johnson didn't play well in 2017, even when healthy. It's too early to give up on Johnson, though, and the risk of handing him a fifth-year option is outweighed by the upside of locking him in if he turns things around, as we just saw from Kyle Fuller in Chicago. The Texans should pick up the option and hope Johnson takes a leap forward in 2018.
His point is that it's not a smart move in a vacuum, but that's how bad and desperate things are on the OL. Even without Mercilus, the defense will be good if Watt stays healthy. Not saying I agree but his reasoning makes sense
Is there a reason we haven't met with Vontae Davis? and please dont say because of the injuries. We met with Amerson who has a long list of injuries ( This guy has played in your division the last years and actually been a beast when healthy) i sometimes dont get this organization (You meet with Amerson but not Davis) maybe they will but at this moment havent seen any reports
could be true, but i doubt he would fetch to much money on the market with his recent injury. Well see - i would like for them to look for Talib (if he gets cut) we dont have the assets to trade for Marcus Peters . maybe Earl Thomas is a surprise cut?
So the Jags can't even sign a competent QB due to lack of cap space? They better start releasing some guys on defense and the Texans better pounce on this guy! Straight up *Travis Scott*
Davis hasn’t played well since 2014 and has been in a pretty steep decline and coming off season-ending groin surgery. Not to mention this will be the 2nd team to essentially say they’re done dealing with him.
I would take Dallas Goedert or Desmond Harrison at #68. I really like the tape I've watched on Goedert, looks to be a perfect TE for DW. Harrison is a high risk/high reward guy--depends how Gaine decides on risks.
