The Houston Texans have already been quite active during the 2026 offseason. However, only a small portion of that activity has actually come during NFL free agency. The Texans have instead leaned on the trade market, swinging two big trades just one week into the new league year.
Houston acquired running back David Montgomery in a trade with Detroit. He projects as the team's new lead back as Houston moved on from both Joe Mixon and Nick Chubb. The Texans also sent right tackle Tytus Howard to the Browns in a trade to kick off their offensive line renovations.
But make no mistake, the Texans have made some solid choices in free agency. They brought in former Colts tackle Braden Smith as a replacement, or even upgrade, over Howard. Houston also reinforced the secondary by adding Reed Blankenship.
However, not every addition the Texans made last week was a good decision.
In fact, one move stands out as Houston's biggest mistake during the opening week of NFL free agency.
Did the Texans need to prioritize edge rusher in free agency?
Houston made a pair of free agent additions at the edge rusher position, arguably the team's biggest strength heading into the offseason.
The Texans brought in former Buccaneers defender Logan Hall on a two-year contract worth $14 million. They double down at adding depth, signing former Bear Dominique Robinson to a one-year deal.
On the face of it, adding depth on top of a strength should hardly qualify as a mistake. But I see it as Houston not properly allocating their resources during a crucial offseason.
The Texans already have young superstar Will Anderson Jr. and veteran Danielle Hunter holding down the edges. In fact, the Texans just gave Hunter a whopping $40.1 million extension just before free agency. Anderson is set to receive a long-term extension himself, so the position is clearly in good hands.
Ultimately, my question is about how much the Texans spent on Hall and Robinson compared to what they will get from them.
Remember, the Texans have eight selections during the 2026 NFL Draft. That is the perfect place to add one or two young edge rushers who could play a role in the edge rusher rotation. One could argue drafting young talent is preferable at edge rusher because rookie contracts are so cheap. It helps that Houston already has a veteran like Hunter around who could show rookies how it is done.
Houston obviously has other needs across the roster, but using draft picks on edge could solidify the position for the foreseeable future. Instead, the Texans added a pair of veterans who offer a higher floor but at a much higher price.
I would have preferred to see the Texans invest even more in the offensive line during free agency. The cash spent on Hall and Robinson could have landed another interior offensive lineman. Or the Texans could have added a veteran left tackle like Taylor Decker to mentor Aireontae Ersery.
Regardless, the offensive line is still Houston's biggest need by far. It would have been nice to see even more urgency addressing it during free agency.
Hopefully the Texans add more o-line reinforcements during the draft.
