The Houston Texans have some notable ties to the New England Patriots. Head coach Bill O’Brien and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel are both notable members of the Bill Belichick coaching tree, as is previous DC Mike Vrabel. Former Patriots stalwart Vince Wilfork also played a couple of seasons at Houston after leaving the Pats.

That New England connection could become a lot stronger this offseason as the Texans aim to target a couple of Patriots free agents.

According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, the Texans are “making a strong run” at left tackle Nate Solder.

The Texans have had a pressing need at left tackle ever since trading away Duane Brown to the Seattle Seahawks. They failed to find a suitable replacement for Brown as evidenced by the literal handful of left tackles they shuffled through over the course of last season.

Solder would be a huge acquisition if he does come to Houston. The former first-round pick has been a very reliable part of the Patriots’ offensive line since his arrival in 2011 and would provide some much-needed stability on quarterback Deshaun Watson’s blindside. The Patriots would be loathed to see him go, but they may have no choice if the Texans come with a big enough offer.

Meanwhile, the Texans have also reached out to Malcolm Butler as they look to add help in the secondary.

Butler could also be a decent addition to a Houston defense which took a significant step back defensively last season, particularly against the pass. They gave up 30 touchdown passes, which was tied for the second-most in the league last season, and also gave up the fourth-highest passer rating.

The departure of top cornerback AJ Bouye in free agency likely contributed to that decline. While Butler isn’t quite that caliber of corner, he’s still a serviceable player who can do a job for them on the outside.