Texans' huge offseason additions result in making NFL history

An NFL team in Texas is going all in for the 2024 NFL season — and it's not the Dallas Cowboys.

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio took an aggressive approach to the roster-building process during the 2023 NFL Draft, and he has made it clear that he has no intention of stopping that aggressive approach now.

The Texans finished the 2023 season with a 10-7 record, an AFC South title, and a playoff win against the Cleveland Browns. While the sudden turnaround drew plenty of praise, Houston has made it clear that they are not content with resting on their laurels and celebrating a season that was cut short by a Divisional Round loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Texans became the darlings of the offseason with several flashy big-name additions.

Texans make history with three big offseason acquisitions

A trio of additions have highlighted Houston's offseason. The Texans signed edge rusher Danielle Hunter in free agency and traded for running back Joe Mixon and wide receiver Stefon Diggs.

The Texans became the first team in league history to acquire players who had 10-plus sacks, 1,000-plus rushing yards and 100-plus receptions in one offseason, per NFL Research.

Diggs caught 107 passes in 2023, his final season with the Buffalo Bills. He has compiled 29 receiving touchdowns since 2021, tied for third-most in that span. Diggs showed some signs of decline toward the end of the season, but he represents an immediate upgrade for Houston's receiving corps.

Mixon finished with 1,034 rushing yards during a challenging 2023 campaign for the Cincinnati Bengals. He has 29 rushing touchdowns since 2021, also tied for third-most among running backs in that span.

Hunter — perhaps the best of the three additions — posted a career-high 16.5 sacks with the Minnesota Vikings in 2023. Since 2018, he has averaged 0.85 sacks per game — third-most behind only NFL Defensive Player of the Year winners T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett.

Caserio, who spent the first 20 years of his career with the New England Patriots, was named general manager of the Texans in 2021. He narrowly avoided being caught under the rubble of a crumbling dynasty, but expectations were even lower in Houston. Caserio was expected to flame out within a couple of seasons, like most of Bill Belichick's disciples. He inherited a Texans' team that was rife with controversy after a disappointing 4-12 season in 2020.

They struggled during Caserio's first two seasons as he eliminated the players who didn't fit his vision. Caserio built the team through the draft and signed the consistent and dependable type of players that fueled New England's dynasty, and it finally paid off in 2023.

Houston shocked the league in Caserio's third season. The Texans fell to a 3-13-1 record In 2022 before finishing the 2023 season with a 10-7 record, an AFC South title, and a playoff win against the Cleveland Browns.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud became the youngest quarterback to win a playoff game in NFL history and was named the 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Defensive end Will Anderson Jr. was named the 2023 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

With their "Big Three" acquisitions, the Texans will try to improve on a 2023 campaign that ended with a Divisional Round loss to the Baltimore Ravens.