The Houston Texans are about to embark on the start of a new season after losing in the AFC Divisional Round in back-to-back seasons. The Texans made several changes on both sides of the ball, hoping for a better outcome in 2025.
However, before the action begins in September, Houston should take a quick look at the free agent landscape to see if it can find additional veteran depth at cornerback, defensive end, or linebacker.
When you look at the linebacker spot in particular, the Texans have Christian Harris, E.J. Speed, Azeez Al-Shaair, and Henry To’oTo’o. It's not a bad group on paper, especially if Harris is healthy after missing most of last season.
That said, the depth behind those starters isn’t great. The Texans need to have another veteran back there who could step in and also play special teams, which would be asked of that player.
Texans Should Consider Bringing Back Veteran LB Kamu Grugier-Hill
Luckily for Houston, the perfect option is available in veteran defender Kamu Grugier-Hill. The 31-year-old linebacker has played seven years in the NFL, most recently with the Minnesota Vikings.
Grugier-Hill appeared in all 17 games for Minnesota last season, spending most of his time on special teams (331 snaps). The veteran linebacker recorded 18 combined tackles, three pass deflections, and two interceptions.
Texans fans might vaguely remember Grugier-Hill’s short time with the franchise, which began in 2021. The veteran defender signed a one-year deal with the Texans after spending the prior year with the Miami Dolphins. Grugier-Hill made a name for himself with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he won a Super Bowl in 2017.
Grugier-Hill was excellent in his first year in Houston, tallying 108 combined tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, three sacks, three pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and an interception as a full-time starter.
That performance earned the former Eastern Illinois standout another one-year deal. He started in six games with the Texans and was surprisingly cut in October 2022. However, the ex-Texan wasn’t a free agent for long, signing with the Arizona Cardinals in November of that year.
Since his time with the Texans, Grugier-Hill has played with three different teams. With training camp getting underway soon, the Texans don’t need to rush to sign Grugier-Hill. However, if the coaches aren’t happy with the backup linebacker play in camp, he should be at the top of their list.