YES, OF COURSE, The Texans Should Sign Gerald McCoy

Yesterday there was one BIG piece of football news. Gerald McCoy was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after a nine year employee-employer relationship. McCoy was tired of all the losing and toiling away on the league’s worst defense, so he was looking to be traded. The Bucs were happy to remove his salary from their books once the relationship became too frayed to mend, and now reports are that Ndamukong Suh will take McCoy’s place in Tampa Bay.

Now McCoy is a free agent, able to play football wherever in the world he wants. McCoy is on the downturn as he enters his age 31 season, but he’s been a consistent interior pass rusher throughout his career and is still a very good one. Last year was a down year for him, yet he still posted 6 sacks and 21 quarterback hits.

The Texans have zero interior pass rushing whatsoever. D.J. Reader, Angelo Blackson, Joel Heath, and Brandon Dunn are all pretty much the same player replicated with the same skills. They can play the run, but they can’t rush the passer. Last season they combined for 3 sacks. McCoy had more sacks last season than Blackson, Heath, Reader, and Dunn have each had in their entire individual careers.

Houston’s pass rush is just J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney. When they don’t get to the quarterback, no one does. The Texans don’t have a secondary that can make up for their rush either. Their entire pass defense is dependent on Watt and Clowney.

Brian Gaine has needed to add an interior pass rusher for months now. He hasn’t done it. Here’s his chance to, and he’s going to have to pay for it. Even if it takes two years and $30 million, the Texans should bring McCoy in. In free agency, you don’t pay a player what he’s worth; you pay what it costs to bring him to your team. It’s inefficient, but it’s what has to be done to fill the holes.

This isn’t a discussion or a dialogue or a jumping off point to other discussions. The Texans should sign Gerald McCoy.