Danielle Hunter Headlines Texans Roster Revamp Entering New League Year

As they enter the new league year, the Houston Texans have made several changes to their roster but are far from done making moves in free agency.

HOUSTON -- Jonathan Greenard wanted to continue his career with the Houston Texans. However, things did not work in his favor. Greenard's tenure ended Monday morning when the former Texan signed a three-year, $72.0 million deal to join the Minnesota Vikings.

Greenard's departure is one of several moves at the forefront of the franchise, as the Texans enter the 2024 league year.

Vikings linebacker Danielle Hunter (99) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Houston lost a handful of its most impactful players from the previous year via free agency or trade. The latest came Wednesday morning when the Texans sent Maliek Collins to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a seventh-round pick. 

Subpar draft compensation for a player who played a prominent role in the success of the Texans' defensive front appears disheartening. But Houston could be in the middle of replacing Collins' services with another productive defensive lineman.

A source tells TexansDaily.com to "keep an eye on" Arik Armstead, who recently became a free agent following his release from the 49ers.

The potential signing of Armstead would be the ninth defensive player the Texans have added since Monday while replacing the services of their former impactful players with prominent acquisitions.

Following the departure of Greenard, Houston added Denico Autry and Danielle Hunter, who recorded a combined 28.0 sacks last season. Hunter became the Texans' biggest free agency acquisition, as the four-time Pro Bowler agreed to a two-year deal worth $49 million.

The Texans lost linebacker Blake Cashman to the Vikings at the start of free agency. However, Houston replaced its leading tackler of the previous season with Azeez Al-Shaair, who signed the longest contract this off-season with a three-year deal worth $34.0 million.

Most of the Texans' activity has been on the defensive side of the ball. Outside of re-signing Noah Brown, Houston has made two additional offensive moves. Their most noteworthy signing came by landing running back Joe Mixon via a trade.

Mixon's arrival came after the Texans allowed Devin Singletary to sign with the New York Giants. The one-time Pro Bowler was also a contingency plan after Houston failed to sign Saquon Barkley.

Per a source, the Texans were "definitely in the mix" for Barkley before he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. 

The 27-year-old running back is coming off his fourth career year of rushing for over 1,000 yards. Mixon finished his final season with the Cincinnati Bengals rushing for 1,034 yards on 257 attempts and nine touchdowns.

Was Denico Autry Texans' Best Free Agency Signing of Day 1?

A busy three-day stretch has left the Texans entering the new league year with a projected $21.5 million in cap space, according to TexansCap. Houston is far from done when it comes to revamping their roster. 

Each move has gotten the franchise closer to meeting coach DeMeco Ryans' desire, who stated that the goal for the team was to add depth at every position.

"I don't think there's one position group where I can say on our team, 'OK, we're set.' I think every position group we can enhance it, we can be better, we can play better," Ryans said. "It was a good season, but it didn't end the way we wanted it to end. I think from that perspective, it's all about how we can add value and depth to our team in a lot of different spots."