While many NFL teams made big splashes off the diving board on the first unofficial day of free agency with cannonball-type jumps into the proverbial swimming pool’s deep end, the Houston Texans stood in the shallow end and watched.
Day 1 of the “legal tampering period,” a rule implemented in 2012 that allowed teams to start negotiations with unrestricted free agents before the official start of the league year, began on Monday at 12 p.m. ET. And for Texans general manager Nick Caserio, it seemed like he may not have changed his clock over the weekend to reflect daylight savings time.
The Texans were supposed to be a team to watch during free agency, with more than $65 million in salary cap space to spend. Yet, they watched as big-name talents quickly evaporated as deal news after deal news broke on social media. None of the reported deals can be officially signed until March 13 at 4 p.m. ET.
Now, Houston didn’t need to negotiate with a player just because the fan base wanted him; these skilled players would have added value to a team that won the AFC South and advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs. The Texans had the “run it back” mentality after their loss to the Baltimore Ravens to end their 2023 season, but to do that, they would need to add more pieces and retain some of their in-house talent.
Some Texans fans have every right to be mad after Day One of Legal Tampering…Click link for full video:#Sarge https://t.co/kDGTGKpwTW pic.twitter.com/joSQdCb5yV
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) March 12, 2024
With the cornerstones of the franchise in quarterback C.J. Stroud and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. still on rookie contracts, it made perfect sense to secure a deal with a player like running back Saquon Barkley, who fit offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s style perfectly along with wide receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell. But the Philadelphia Eagles outbid Caserio for Barkley’s services. And to add insult to injury, Barkley’s former team, the New York Giants, negotiated a deal for Texans’ 2023 leading rusher Devin Singletary, who finished the season with 898 rushing yards.
Houston also lost two huge locker room guys, linebacker Blake Cashman (104 tackles) and edge rusher Jonathan Greenard (12.5), to the Minnesota Vikings before Caserio bolstered DeMeco Ryan’s defense with defensive end Denico Autry (11.5 sacks) and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (163 tackles).
Those two additions were much needed for Caserio to save face after his lackluster moves throughout the day, including bringing back former Texans defensive back Lonnie Johnson Jr. and re-signing wide receiver Noah Brown. This infuriated the fan base, who continued to watch what they considered better talent head to AFC rivals.
Day 2 may bring about some excitement. Running backs like Derrick Henry and Joe Mixon are still available, as other other impactful players like edge rusher Danielle Hunter and a few veteran safeties. But if Caserio is unable to get any of those players to agree to come to Houston, the Texans social media team is going to have a hard time scrubbing the negative comments from the timeline.
