5 Houston Texans impending free agents who need to be brought back

4. LB Denzel Perryman

The Houston defense was one of the most improved units in the league and deserves its share of credit for the team’s turnaround. From 2020-22, the Texans owned a combined 11-38-1 record. One of their big issues on defense was a failure to slow down opposing ground attacks. Over those three seasons, Houston finished last, next-to-last, and last, respectively, in the league in rushing defense.

In 2023, only the Chicago Bears gave up fewer yards per game on the ground than coordinator Matt Burke’s unit. It took this group a few games to get its act together, but they held 10 of their final 13 regular-season foes to fewer than 100 yards rushing.

Last offseason, veteran linebacker Denzel Perryman proved to be a solid addition just two seasons removed from a Pro Bowl campaign with the Raiders.

In a dozen regular-season games with the Texans, Perryman finished fourth on the team with 76 tackles and three passes defended. He added a combined eight stops in the playoff split with the Browns and Ravens. It’s worth noting that he was the Pro Football Focus 16th-ranked linebacker in 2023 when it came to defending the run.

There’s still work to be done here (see the late-season clashes with the Colts and Ravens), but the return of this veteran defender would be a big positive.