Pro Football Focus Reveals Houston Texans' Most Important 2024 Free Agent

The Houston Texans must balance re-signing their expiring contracts with bringing in big-ticket free agents. Which veteran is the most important to bring back in 2024?

By the end of the 2023 season, the Houston Texans’ pass rush saw marked improvement and became an integral piece of their playoff push. As they enter the offseason and look to improve upon their status as competitors, bringing a strong pass rush into 2024 is a must.

However, free agency is drawing close and a handful of Texans are in line for new contracts. How Houston allocates its cap space – $57.75 million, the sixth-most in football – could determine its fate in the AFC South. Interior defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins is set to be a free agent, along with starting edge rusher Jonathan Greenard and rotational pass rushers Jerry Hughes and Derek Barnett.

Greenard hasn’t been shy about wanting to return to H-Town, and the Texans should be on board. Pro Football Focus, projecting a three-year, $47.25 million deal, has Greenard listed as the free agent the Texans must prioritize. It’s for good reason.

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Primarily, Greenard is coming off of the best year of his career. His 12.5 sacks, 22 quarterback hits, and 15 tackles for loss were all career-highs. He led the team in all three categories.

Some may be hesitant to pay big money to the second-best edge rusher on the team, but Houston’s circumstances say otherwise. The $15.75 million average annual value would rank 17th among current edge rusher contracts and more names will be added to that list once free agency opens.

The price tag is more than reasonable, and they are operating within C.J. Stroud’s rookie contract. Now is the time to spend. Additionally, Greenard – if he hasn’t already – will soon be outshined by standout pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. But he too is cheap, allowing Houston to pay two stud edge rushers for the price of one superstar.

“Greenard’s 19 stops against the run were a top-20 mark among edge defenders,” Brad Spielberger wrote. “And he broke out as a pass rusher under [DeMeco] Ryans' tutelage, setting career-high marks with a 12.4% pass-rush win rate, 53 pressures and 12.5 sacks.”

Keeping the front four dangerous is key to so many defenses, and the safest bet would be to lean on an edge-rushing duo that continues to show signs of growth. Greenard was one of the best 32 edge rushers this season by most metrics. Even if his sack total is due for some regression, he’s a legitimate threat for 8+ sacks and has the run defense to match. That is a luxury for a team that doesn’t need him to carry the load of the pass rush.

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Adequate interior pressure is easier, and often cheaper, to find. It could also be addressed in April, giving Houston a balance of experience and youth on the defensive line.

The AFC offers a gauntlet of quarterbacks, and the Texans are fortunate enough to have one good enough to compete. Surrounding him with a defense that can mitigate other greats starts with bringing back their most productive pass rusher from this past season.