The Houston Texans have already made some major shifts around the roster in the beginning stages of this NFL offseason, but that doesn't mean this team is complete in their adjustments ahead of their third season in the C.J. Stroud-Demeco Ryans era.
Houston has started their offseason motions by making no shortage of changes around Stroud, moving pieces in and out of the offensive line to try and best fortify their star quarterback after a brutal season of doing so in 2024.
Now, perhaps the next step is adding weapons to their signal caller's arsenal at the wide receiver position following a campaign where the room broke down towards the end of the year.
For ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell, a strong candidate to add to Houston's receiver mix for next season could be Chicago Bears free agent Keenan Allen, who comes off a rocky age-32 campaign but could have an opportunity for a rebound with the Texans.
The Texans, alongside the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots, present the best destinations in the eyes of Barnwell –– largely as a secondary or tertiary option for a team still searching for help at wideout.
"Teams are going to look at Allen's injury history with some reticence," Barnwell wrote. "After repeatedly battling injuries early in his career, he strung together a series of healthy seasons between 2017 and 2019. He has failed to play a full season since, missing time with hamstring injuries in 2022 and heel injuries in 2023 and 2024. He probably profiles as a third wideout in a good offense or a second wideout in a subpar one at this point of his career, but I wonder whether this past season with the Bears might have depressed his market more than it should have. I'd expect him to land with a team that needs a wideout to win against man coverage, especially if it has a target hog who can draw attention elsewhere and ensure one-on-ones for Allen."
Allen, once seen as one of the top receiving weapons in the entire NFL, is now entering the next stage of his career where he'll likely be best served as a helping hand in a passing attack rather than the main point of concern for NFL secondaries. In the case of Houston, the four-time Pro Bowler could factor in nicely as a complementary piece for Nico Collins and newly-added Christian Kirk.
During his most recent season with the Bears, Allen had 15 games played to collect 744 yards on 70 catches with seven touchdowns. Allen may not reach his annual 1,000-yard mark as he saw with the Los Angeles Chargers, but no matter where he goes, he could be a dangerous piece to add if he's able to stay on the field.
He hasn't had a full-season sample size since 2019, which could prove a cause for concern if Houston were to try and acquire him. However, at the right price, bringing him in as another pass catcher at Stroud's disposal is far from a poor option.
