The NFL is an ecosystem. What happens in another more prosperous city has effects on a franchise that seeks to complete a rebuild.
According to Dan Graziano from ESPN, the Kansas City Chiefs’ negotiations with tackle Orlando Brown are worth watching for Houston Texans fans as they could have implications on what happens to three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil.
One potential trade target I’m watching is Houston left tackle Laremy Tunsil. The Texans have resisted trading him in recent years, but he has just one year and a nonguaranteed $18.5 million left on his contract and could be a target of the Chiefs if they aren’t able to bring back Orlando Brown Jr.
According to Over The Cap, Tunsil will count $35,210,834 against the Texans’ salary cap in 2023. Whether a cut or trade, pre- or post-June 1, the Texans will owe a little over $16.7 million in dead money and save $18.5 million in salary cap space. Using Over The Cap’s tools, only an extension appears to give the Texans more cap space and keep Tunsil with $13,868,000 savings.
Getting Tunsil off the books would allow for the Texans to possibly transition Kenyon Green into taking over at a tackle spot along with Tytus Howard. The interior of Houston’s offensive line would still be in question as the Texans relied on Scott Quessenberry to played center for 16 games and also had A.J. Cann at right guard.
Draft capital would be a benefit for the Texans, who just lost a fifth-round pick due to punitive measures from the league. However, it won’t approach anywhere near what the Texans gave up to acquire Tunsil in 2019, and it may not approach the haul the Chiefs sent to acquire Brown from the Baltimore Ravens in 2021.
If the Chiefs figure out how to keep Brown, then the Texans will have to determine how to keep Tunsil and how to manage his cap hit.
