After a second consecutive divisional round exit following a 10-7 season, the Houston Texans decided to change things up this offseason.
Some of these changes were welcomed by the fans, while some caused confusion among the fanbase. Let's take a look at a few moves that have the highest chance of backfiring on the Texans.
Firing OC Bobby Slowik
Once considered one of the rising stars among potential first-time head coach candidates, Bobby Slowik paid the price for CJ Stroud failing to take the next step in his second year. As the Texans offense plateaued in 2024, Slowik became the scapegoat and was replaced by Nick Caley.
While Caley is joining Houston from Sean McVay's coaching staff, he is an unproven name who only worked as a pass game coordinator for one season before making the jump to OC. There is a serious chance that the Texans will find out that Slowik wasn't the main problem with the offense.
Giving Danielle Hunter a Massive Extension
Hunter had an excellent season in 2024, staying healthy all year and putting up 12 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, and 23 QB hits. He was one of the best defenders on the team.
At the same time, he will turn 31 during the season and is now the second-highest-paid pass rusher in the league after Myles Garrett. He also has a void year in 2027, which will count as $20.4 million against the team's salary cap after his contract expires. As good as he has been in his first season as a Texan, that is a big risk to take.
Signing OT Cam Robinson & Trent Brown
Houston revamped their offensive line this offseason, but whether they improved there is a different question. Cam Robinson and Trent Brown are questionable signings who are on the wrong side of the age curve.
Brown missed most of last season and turns 32 next week. Robinson will turn 30 during the season and is coming off a mediocre season. Whether he is an upgrade over Laremy Tunsil remains unclear.
Trading for G Ed Ingram
Another questionable offensive line move was giving up a sixth-round pick for Ed Ingram. A former second-round pick was never able to put it together for the Minnesota Vikings in his three seasons as a pro.
Ingram ranked as the 100th-best guard in the league out of 135 eligible players per PFF and gave up the fifth-highest pressure rate, according to the NFL's Next Gen Stats. Could the Texans really not have found a better interior offensive lineman through the draft?