While the new NFL league year and the official open of free agency is still a few days away, and even the "legal tampering period" doesn't start until noon eastern on Monday, teams are still making a ton of early buzz. Sunday night brought a flurry of transactions, and early Monday morning hasn't disappointed either.
Players who have been released by their previous teams are eligible to sign contracts even before the opening of free agency, so plenty of veterans are finding new homes.
For the Houston Texans' newest signing, his "new home" isn't all that new.
The Texans have agreed to terms with DT Sheldon Rankins on a one-year deal, worth up to $7 million, per source.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 10, 2025
Rankins spent 2023 in Houston before a year in Cincinnati, but now returns to DeMeco Ryans’ defense.
Texans Sign Sheldon Rankins Ahead of Free Agency
It was reported early on Monday morning that the Texans have agreed to a one-year contract to bring defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins back to Houston. Rankins spent the 2024 season with the Cincinnati Bengals, who released him on February 21st.
Before he was a Bengal, Rankins spent the 2023 season with the Texans, making 15 starts and racking up 37 tackles with 9 TFLs and putting up the second-highest sack total (6.0) of his career.
This is exactly the kind of quiet, savvy move that great teams make. The team knows that addressing both the offensive and defensive line needs to be a top priority, and Rankins was an obvious reunion candidate.
He'll be 31 years old by the start of the season and his best years are likely behind him, but a short-term (and cheap) deal to serve as a role player is exactly the right move. He'll be a strong option as a situational pass-rusher, and this contract means the team won't feel the need to force him into an every-down role.
Rankins' run defense has been a liability in recent years, but in addition to putting up one of his best sack totals in 2023, PFF also gave him the highest pass-rush grade of his career at 74.7. That's higher than any Texans defensive tackle recorded in 2024.
This may not be a splashy blockbuster move, but it's also exactly the type of under-the-radar signing that often proves to be what a team actually needs. If this is an early indication of how GM Nick Caserio will approach 2025 free agency, this should be a good offseason for Texans fans.