Battle Red Blog
A game for the Texans’ offseason. This might actually be suitable for work.
Welcome to the Houston Texans’ 2025 offseason. After a season that didn’t quite go the way many hoped, the Texans find themselves facing a lot of personnel decisions. They once again got to the NFL “Elite Eight”, but for the sixth time in franchise history, they didn’t make it to a conference title game. The goal is to get beyond the Divisional Round, and ideally, win the next two games after that.
While we don’t know if the Texans’ front office is actually playing this game, we, the outside reading public, can play along with the home version of “Trade, Cut, Extend.” This is how we try to assess what actions the Texans can undertake to improve the roster and get the team to the promised land of Super Bowl glory.
Right now, Houston faces a few more difficulties than in seasons past. In particular, the squad has little to no significant cap space (estimates, depending on the source, vary from $3M in cap space to ~$2M over the cap). However, there remain some rather glaring deficiencies on the roster, especially on the offensive line. Additionally, the Texans have some draft picks, but eventually, they will need cap relief and the possibility to obtain new talent/resources.
TRADE:
LG Kenyon Green
The former first round draft pick has not had the ideal career in Houston. A combination of injuries and ineffectiveness made this past season critical to his future in Houston. Green most certainly did not meet the challenge. His pass-blocking, or severe lack thereof, did much to hinder the Texans’ offense, and then, he ended up missing the last half of the season with another injury. As a first rounder, Green could have his fifth year option picked up, but that seems unlikely. The team gave him every chance to lock down the left guard slot, but it got to the point that RT Tytus Howard had to cover that side of the line to end the season.
Kenyon Green would not be the first highly regarded offensive line prospect to fail to live up to the promise. Other first round busts like Isaiah Wilson and Jonathan Cooper got traded before their rookie contracts ran out, either for other players or a draft pick. Likely, Green would fetch a low draft pick, perhaps a seventh. Maybe the team gives him one last chance, but after three years, growth with Houston isn’t in Green’s future. Best to get what you can before you set him adrift for no return.
Other considerations for trade:
OT Laremy Tunsil: There’s been some actual internet chatter about this move, whether there’s any truth to it remains to be seen. He carries the highest cap hit on the squad. Mostly likely, we’ll see a restructuring of his deal, but if Houston does move him, it could save upwards of $21M in cap space depending on timing. Granted, that would leave Houston needing a...
