The Houston Texans opened up the wallet in free agency last year. The team signed Danielle Hunter to a huge deal while also adding Denico Autry and Azeez Al-Shaair.
Houston won't be able to approach free agency with the same aggressiveness in 2025. As of right now, Houston ranks 26th in the league in cap space heading into this offseason, so the team will need to be very selective and budget-minded about who they target.
The good news is that there are going to be a number of values out there on the market who can help this team reach the next level.
Here are four free agents who can help the Houston Texans contend for the Super Bowl in 2025.
OG Teven Jenkins (Chicago Bears)
If there's one big splash Houston might have tried to make work, it may have been pursuing Chiefs guard Trey Smith. Houston arguably has the worst interior offensive line situation in the league right now and need bodies there. Smith would have instantly upgraded that unit, but the Chiefs slapped the franchise tag on him on Thursday.
But Houston's in such bad shape at guard that pretty much anyone would represent an upgrade, so it's on to the next one, as Jay-Z would say.
There are some good guards on the market, but Jenkins is the perfect mix of talent and youth to help shore up this line both now and into the future. Jenkins has ranked as a top 15 guard in PFF grade for three consecutive seasons and while he has some injury concerns, Houston's desperate need for offensive line help means the team will likely ignore those concerns.
S Tre'von Moehrig (Las Vegas Raiders)
The Texans have two very good young defensive backs in Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter, but the team could use some help behind them in the secondary.
I'm a big fan of Jalen Pitre if he's healthy in 2025. After struggling during his first two NFL seasons, Pitre was on track for a solid 2024 before a torn pec ended his season. He ranked 26th among safeties in PFF grade.
But the Texans can't go into 2025 without making a move at safety. Jimmie Ward is also coming off an injury and the depth behind those two is fairly non-existent. Houston doesn't need to go out and sign an elite safety, but someone like Tre'von Moehring would be perfect — a young player who can pick off passes in coverage but is also good at moving into the box and making tackles.
C Drew Dalman (Atlanta Falcons)
The Texans drafted Juice Scruggs in the second round in 2023 with the intention of him being the answer at center, but that hasn't panned out. The team started 2023 sixth-round pick Jarrett Patterson late in the season, but that doesn't appear to be working out either.
Houston needs a reliable center to help clean up the middle of the field. Drew Dalman is the best center on the market this offseason and shouldn't be too expensive. He's been top five among centers in PFF grade in two consecutive seasons and is the only long-term starter available at center on the free agent market. Houston could prioritize that need and then opt to look for cheaper guard options.
I'm going to sound like a broken record here, but anything Houston does about its offensive line this offseason is an improvement. If the team had to settle for the second tier of center free agents like Ryan Kelly or Coleman Shelton, fine, but the team should make a big push for Dalman.
WR Darius Slayton (New York Giants)
Houston's best move at wide receiver would probably be to re-sign Stefon Diggs. The fact that Diggs is coming off an ACL tear complicates things, but the top receiver options on the market all have downsides for Houston. Chris Godwin is coming off an ankle injury. Tee Higgins is going to cost a ton. DeAndre Hopkins has already spent time in Houston before and it's unclear if a reunion makes sense. Amari Cooper might cost too much considering the serious concerns about consistency.
But Darius Slayton? That's a cheap signing that could work out really well. Slayton has been a consistent presence on a Giants team that had, until 2024, struggled to find quality pass catchers in the post-Odell Beckham Jr. world, which led to Slayton finishing as the team's leading receiver four times in a five-year stretch.
Houston doesn't need a star at the No. 2 receiver spot as long as the team improves the offensive line and gives C.J. Stroud time to work in the pocket. Back in 2023, we saw Stroud briefly turn Noah Brown into a top receiver. What this team needs is someone with wheels who can find open spaces. With defenses keying in on Nico Collins, Slayton would thrive on this team and would put the Texans one step closer to Super Bowl contention.