Writer Jonathan M. Alexander answers readers' questions on the Texans' coaching search, free-agent targets and more.
, too, given his history of winning. Teams seem willing to pay the Saints at least one first-round pick for Payton. It will come down to which job is most attractive to Payton. As far as free agency and the draft, I think a lot will depend on who the head coach is and what he values.
If Payton is the head coach, then the Texans may not even have that second first-round pick at No. 12. But it will likely be a mix of both. The Texans have major holes on both offense and defense, including guard, defensive tackle, defensive end, quarterback, wide receiver and linebacker. That assessment process will take place over the few months.I’ll give you more than a couple. The Texans are projected to have the fifth-most cap space of any team in the NFL at $40 million, and could have more with roster cuts and contract restructures. Though they likely won’t be huge spenders, they could spend more than they have in the past two years. These potential free agents are more of a dream, but they address needs: • Bengals safety Jessie Bates: Bates won’t be cheap. He’s playing this season on the franchise tag for the Bengals, and has four interceptions and a forced fumble. But he’s young and he can ball. He has 14 career interceptions in five seasons. • Washington defensive tackle Daron Payne: The Commanders may end up re-signing him, but if they don’t, he could help the Texans out in a big way. He can play the three-technique or one-tech. And not only can Payne rush the passer, but he can stop the run, which the Texans were the worst at in the NFL. Payne finished the 2022 season with 11½ sacks and 18 tackles for loss. He’s also in for a big payday. • Philadelphia safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson: He can play in the slot or he can play safety. And the Texans will be needing both this offseason, as Jonathan Owens and Tavierre Thomas are pending free agents. Gardner-Johnson has six interceptions this season. He’s a playmaker and the Texans will need that. It’ll just depend on whether they want to spend the money.
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