The Houston Texans have used the past couple of months to tie up some loose ends on their roster. Training camp begins next month with Houston looking to build for the 2025 season.
The Texans added C.J. Gardner-Johnson to an already talented defense, and they have the chance to continue adding to that side of the ball after the latest release.
On Thursday, the Cleveland Browns released DE Ogbo Okoronkwo, and Houston should consider bringing him back for a reunion, especially since Denico Autry had an underwhelming season for the team in 2024.
#Browns have released edge rusher Ogbo Okoronkwo and signed kicker Andre Szmyt, the club announced.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) June 26, 2025
Houston Should Consider Bringing Back Ogbo Okoronkwo
Okoronkwo played with Houston during the 2022 season, where he posted career-highs in total tackles (44), QB hits (11), and sacks (5).
The Texans have Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter as the starters at edge, but you always need some depth. Autry joined the Texans last offseason but was a massive disappointment. He was suspended for six games for violating the league's policy against performance-enhancing drugs. In 10 games, Autry had 13 total tackles and three sacks.
According to PFF, he had a 56 overall grade (140th among 211 graded edges), 61 pass rush grade (95th among 211 graded edges), and a 53.8 run-defense grade (159th among 211 graded edges).
He's also 34 years old, and if the Texans got rid of him, they would save $2 million. Meanwhile, Okoronkwo is 30 years old and could provide some fresher legs.
Houston was tied for fourth in the NFL in team sacks (49) last season, and that's without much production from Autry.
Okoronkwo's best season came in H-Town, and playing in an aggressive defense led by DeMeco Ryans could be a recipe for success. Having multiple effective pass rushers is a major key to making that next step forward, and swapping Autry for Okoronkwo would be a smart move before training camp starts in July.