The Houston Texans are widely expected to be active during the NFL offseason. However, Nick Caserio and the front office will not have a ton of financial room to get aggressive.
Instead, it's expected that the Texans will look to get creative to bring in additional outside talent.
Looking at the needs the team must address, the offensive line and wide receiver positions are towards the top. In order to support young franchise quarterback C.J. Stroud, they need to make sure to bring talent in for both of those position groups.
With that in mind, Houston has been connected to an intriguing free agent from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Cole Thompson of Texans Wire has suggested that Steelers' offensive lineman James Daniels could be an ideal target for the Texans.
"Daniels is coming off a torn Achilles injury, but he put together one of the best starts for an offensive lineman in four games, posting a 92.9 PFF grade," Thompson wrote.
"And despite only being 27, Daniels has seven years of starting experience. He’s an all-around quality blocker who could be looking for a cheap one-year prove-it deal this offseason to better his market in 2026. His addition wouldn’t stop Houston from drafting a future starting guard, but it could open the draft board to pivot toward a different position on Day 1."
Adding Daniels would be a big step in the right direction towards fixing the offensive line. Granted, there would be concern about coming back from an Achilles tear, but his price tag should be within Houston's price range.
As Thompson mentioned, his addition could make it easier for the Texans to justify targeting a wide receiver in the first round. It won't be easy for Houston to fix all of the issues this offseason, but if they can get creative enough they will give themselves a fighting chance.
Expect to hear a lot of rumors surrounding the Texans this offseason. Don't be surprised if Daniels ends up being a sleeper target when free agency opens up.
