Houston Texans Free Agency: 2020 Vision

With the end of the 2019 NFL season rapidly approaching, a lot of franchises are already looking ahead to the off-season in terms of roster churn and overall talent improvement. While most scouting departments are busy kicking the tires on the upcoming draft market, your Houston Texans should be far more focused on free agency. Without a 1st or 2nd round pick in the 2020 draft, the Texans need to do more in free agency than ever before.

With that in mind, here’s some early possibilities the Texans could take a run at to bolster the roster for the 2020 season:

Cornerback Marcus Peters

Even though the Texans have brought in Bradley Roby, Gareon Conley and Vernon Hargreaves this year, they still don’t have a true CB1 option on the roster.

The 26-year-old Marcus Peters will have a lot of suitors when the “legal” tampering period begins prior to the end of the League year. Having played in 74 games so far, amassing 27 interceptions in only 5 seasons, Peters is one of the very few in the NFL that truly deserves the tag “shut-down corner”.

If the Texans can land him, their secondary suddenly becomes legit and with that, the pass rush becomes more effective due to the opportunity for coverage sacks.

Unless the price tag is off-the-charts, Peters should be one of the few players the Texans take a hard run at when free agency begins.

Offensive Guard Brandon Scherff

While Houston has improved their offensive line, and chances are it will improve again next season even if they don’t make any move simply due to the maturation of individual players and chemistry growth as a unit, they could still use help. Enter Brandon Scherff.

While “give away the draft for” Laremy Tunsil has given up more sacks than anyone else on the offensive line so far this year, having a better guard to play next to Tunsil would do wonders for building a rock wall on the left side of Houston’s line.

Imagine what the Texans could do if Deshaun Watson had his blindside on lock down?

3-4 Defensive Lineman Chris Jones

The Houston Texas native would look really good in battle red, lined up alongside D.J. Reader and J.J. Watt. The 25 year old has 92 solo tackles, 35 for loss, 66 QB hits, 31 sacks, 2 interceptions and a touchdown. Pretty solid for a young man with a lot of career ahead of him. With the loss of Clowney, the sunset coming for J.J. Watt’s career and few answers elsewhere on the roster to the “who is our go-to QB pressure man?” question, the Texans need to bring in someone who can wreck opposing offensive lines. Jones could be that guy.

3-4 Defensive End Jadeveon Clowney

A guy can dream, can’t he?

Outside Linebacker Shaquil Barrett

Another young gun with huge upside, Barrett will most certainly cause havoc when the Texans face him and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in two weeks. The 6 year veteran has 133 solo tackles, 39 for loss, 64 QB hits, 29 sacks, 13 forced fumbles and 1 interception. While he might not be the “one player” that propels a team over the top, lining him up with Whitney Mercilus, Zach Cunningham and Benardrick McKinney would give Houston a pretty lethal linebacking corps. Especially if J.J. Watt can stay healthy and the Texans can bring in a trench wrecker to play alongside D.J. Reader.

What do you think? Have a player you really want the flat earth management team to bring to H-Town? Is there a player you’re convinced will put the Texans over the top? Or are you more concerned with making sure Houston’s extensive list of impending free agents (including Lamar Miller, Whitney Mercilus, Carlos Hyde, Darren Fells, Bradley Roby, D.J. Reader and Roderick Johnson to name a few) don’t get out the door?

Give us your all-too-early 2020 Free Agency wish list in the comments box.