Texans Find Sheldon Rankins Replacement, Sign Ex Bills Lineman Tim Settle

The Houston Texans have added depth to the lineup with the additon of Tim Settle Jr.
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The Houston Texans have found their replacement for Maliek Collins. 

The Texans have agreed to terms with former Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Tim Settle Jr. on a two-year deal with a max value of $7 million, according to reports.

Settle met with the Texans Thursday morning and left the building with a deal in place. 

Settle joins the roster one day after the Texans traded Collins to the San Francisco 49ers for a seventh-round draft pick, Initially, Houston tried to have a player swap deal for defensive tackle Arik Armstead, but the two sides could never come to a final conclusion on pricing. 

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Armstead, who served as the anchor of the 49ers' defense under now Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, inked a three-year deal worth $51 million with AFC South rival Jacksonville earlier Thursday afternoon. 

A league source tells TexansDaily.com that while Houston remained in the running following Armstead's release, the veteran defensive tackle was looking for a deal roughly around $17.5 million and a multi-year contract. 

With the Jaguars, Armstead will make $17 million annually. 

Settle, a former fifth-round pick by the Washington Commanders out of Virginia Tech played in 17 games with two starts for the Bills in 2020. He recorded 14 tackles, one for losses and one sack. For his career, Settle has 87 tackles, nine sacks, 17 tackles for losses and 16 quarterback hits in 95 career games and six starts. 

Settle's best season came in 2020, where he recorded five sacks in 2020 for the Washington. He now joins forces with former Tennesee Titans defensive lineman Denico Autry, who signed a two-year, $20 million deal earlier this week. 

The Texans struck gold Tuesday after agreeing to terms with Houston native and four-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter on a two-year deal worth up to $49 million. Hunter, who became one the league's best pass-rushers while as a member of the Minnesota Vikings, officially signed his contract Thursday afternoon.

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"It's an honor to be able to come back and play in front of my family and all the people that I grew up with," Hunter said Thursday. "I know they've been pretty excited about the news lately, and it'll be fun to be able to come to a game and see me play.”

The Texans also agreed to terms with running back Joe Mixon on a three-year, $27 million extension following his trade. 


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Cole Thompson
COLE THOMPSON

Cole Thompson is a sports writer and columnist covering the NFL and college sports for SI's Fan Nation. A 2016 graduate from The University of Alabama, follow him on Twitter @MrColeThompson