The Houston Texans didn't waste any time changing up their roster from the group of last season entering this offseason, making multiple adjustments on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
However, while Houston did ship in and ship out a considerable amount of contributors from the 2024 campaign, a few managed to stay aboard despite their pending free agent status –– one of those names being defensive end Derek Barnett, who landed onboard the Texans' roster in the middle of 2023 after being cut from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Barnett stayed along with the Texans' roster for next season, signing a one-year, $4 million deal in hopes to keep building onto a second full year in Houston, and it might be a fit that pays off for both sides in the end.
Pro Football Focus analyst Ben Cooper called the move Houston's highest upside free agency signing of their offseason so far, crediting the Texans brass for their low-risk, high-reward decision.
"The Texans’ offseason vision is clear, if puzzling: Construct a new offensive line and continue to utilize one-year contracts," Cooper wrote. "Most of the team’s free-agency additions are locked in only for 2025, and that includes Derek Barnett, who has been with the team since the middle of the 2023 season. Barnett’s 13.8% pass-rush win rate since he joined Houston is a top-35 mark among edge defenders (from Week 13 of 2023 through 2024), and his 73.9 PFF run-defense grade in 2024 alone was the 16th-ranked mark at the position. The Texans should continue to get great value out of the 28-year-old in his part-time role."
Barnett is far from a driving force in this dominant Texans' defensive front, one that's spearheaded by the skillsets of elite playmakers like Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, but as a rotational rusher that can factor in on a limited, yet impactful basis, $4 million is a great deal to make in order to retain his services.
The Texans' veteran finished last season with five sacks, 26 combined tackles, and two forced turnovers, and at just 28 years old, has all of the opportunity at hand to replicate that production for 2025.
Even if he doesn't, the Texans brass has carefully constructed their cap moves this offseason to span one season, having the ability to cut ties without any hangups. Yet, after a nice season in the books from 2024, Houston clearly has confidence in his skillset for at least one more year. Time will tell if that can come to fruition.
