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Houston Texans Trade for Washington Commanders DT in Mock Deal

The Houston Texans could boost their defensive line before the start of the season.

Jeremy Brener

Oct 29, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis (98) celebrates after recovering a fumble against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis (98) celebrates after recovering a fumble against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
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The Houston Texans have made some changes to the defensive line during the offseason, acquiring several key pieces including Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry. However, they shouldn't be satisfied.

Bleacher Report writer Alex Ballentine suggests that the Texans should trade a future seventh-round pick to the Washington Commanders for defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis.

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"This wouldn't be an earth-shattering move, but it does address a need that could hurt the Texans down the road if it isn't addressed. The Texans have made a lot of moves to go from plucky underdog to legitimate contenders," Ballentine writes. "But tertiary needs like defensive line depth still need some work. For instance, the Texans have acquired Foley Fatukasi and Denico Autry from AFC South rivals to form a good interior duo. But after that is a slightly less impressive tandem of Tim Settle and Mario Edwards. There isn't a lot of youth at the position to get excited about. But taking a swing on Phidarian Mathis could change that. He's a 2022 second-round pick who has struggled to make his mark since being drafted by Washington."

Mathis, 26, tore his meniscus in his first NFL game in 2022 and made just eight tackles in 2023. The Commanders added Mathis as a contingency plan if they were unable to sign Daron Payne, but they were able to come to an agreement with him.

With Payne, Jonathan Allen and second-round pick Johnny Newton, the Commanders don't need Mathis' services. The Texans could add a low-risk, high-reward player in Mathis who could help bolster the team's run defense going into the season.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.