<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-7-round-2025-nfl-mock-draft-pff-simulator');   ga('set', 'title', 'Texans 7-round 2025 NFL mock draft, per PFF simulator');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Houston-Texans-7-round-2025-NFL-mock-draft-per-PFF-simulator.jpg"></figure><h1>Texans 7-round 2025 NFL mock draft, per PFF simulator</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T13:41:39-07:00">April 1st, 1:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T13:41:39-07:00">April 1st, 1:41pm</time><address><a href="https://matthew516sports.substack.com/">Douglas Fritz</a>Douglas Fritz has been writing about sports for almost four decades and publishes a Christian sports newsletter and podcast on Substack at Matthew516Sports. He started as a reporter for the student newspaper at East Tennessee State University, worked his way up to Editor-In-Chief, and began his sports writing career at the Johnson City Press daily newspaper while still in college. During 30-plus years at the Press, he covered University of Tennessee football, men's and women's basketball, ETSU athletics, and high school athletics. Among the people he has interviewed are Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, and Bruce Smith. He is also a Christian-based screenwriter (five feature-length and one short), book writer (three completed manuscripts and one novel), and songwriter.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-houston-inks-danielle-hunter-monster-35-6-million-extension">Houston Texans paid attention to their defense</a>, signing Danielle Hunter to big money. And they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-demeco-ryans-celebrates-new-addition-cj-gardner-johnson">traded for C.J. Gardner-Johnson</a>. So what will their <a href="https://www.pff.com/draft/nfl-mock-draft-simulator?ref=ffb72eb4-2e61-492f-8022-867f73d6421a&amp;complete=7&amp;draft_grade=A&amp;multi=false" rel="noopener">seven-round 2025</a> NFL mock draft look like, according to the Pro Football Focus simulator?</p><p>Heading toward the 2025 season, the Texans have high hopes of being in the Super Bowl conversation. In the draft, they will be looking for help at the wide receiver and offensive line positions.</p><p>However, if they don’t get a wide receiver in Round 1, they can still help quarterback C.J. Stroud with a different weapon. And that’s why the simulator took the Texans with three premier wide receivers off the board.</p><h2><b>Texans get TE Colston Loveland in Round 1</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Michigan-TE-Colston-Loveland.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>This would be a great grab for the Texans. Loveland can function as an extra wide receiver. He doesn’t block well, but makes up for it in the other phase of the tight end game, according to nfl.com.</p><p>Projected as a year-one starter, the 6-foot-6 Michigan product <a href="https://www.nfl.com/prospects/colston-loveland/32004c4f-5645-6221-1f26-a303114b69f8" rel="noopener">might even have</a> Pro Bowl talent.</p><p>“Talented young tight end with the athletic ability and ball skills to become an elite talent as a pass catcher,” Lance Zierlein wrote. “Colston plays the game like a big wideout, capable of separating from man coverage and making plays on all three levels. He has good play speed and runs a route tree full of branches, allowing creative play-callers to move him around as a mismatch option. His routes can be a little hurried and lacking in detail but that should change with coaching.</p><p>“He’s graceful in-air and catches the ball with good timing and strong hands. He will keep filling out his frame but is unlikely to ever become more than average as a blocker. Colston’s collection of athletic traits and catch talent creates a high ceiling with the opportunity to become a high-volume target and future Pro Bowler.”</p><p>This is a spot-on pick for the Texans.</p><h2><b>A cornerback lands with the Round 2 pick</b></h2><p>This might be a little risky. The Texans entered the draft needing wide receivers and offensive linemen. They’ve gone two without either of those as Darien Porter of Iowa State gets the nod.</p><p>He has starter potential and his long 6-3, 195-pound frame provides an interesting mix for the position <a href="https://www.nfl.com/prospects/darien-porter/3200504f-5212-0556-cd68-db6446ff4815" rel="noopener">against taller receivers</a>.</p><p>“Sixth-year senior with elite traits and special teams talent but only one year of starting experience at cornerback,” Zierlein wrote. “Porter’s rep total is heavy on zone coverages but he has the athleticism, burst, and speed to handle more man coverage. He has excellent zone awareness with the twitch and ball skills to expand his sphere of influence.</p><p>“(Porter) uses his length to shade downfield throws but needs to get stronger to improve his press, his contest and his tackling in run support. More schooling is needed as a pattern-matcher but his athletic profile and instant impact on special teams should create more confidence in projecting Porter’s continued ascension as a CB2/CB3.”</p><h2><b>Texans try to make good use of two Round 3 picks</b></h2><p>If the Texans wait until the third round to get a receiver, it would be a bonus to still have Tre Harris on the board. At 6-2 and 205 pounds he has the right frame, and Zierlein tagged him as an <a href="https://www.nfl.com/prospects/tre-harris/32004841-5254-9958-4dd2-0e73024370c7" rel="noopener">eventual plus starter</a>.</p><p>“Size/speed wideout who returned to school in 2024 and improved his game heading into this year’s draft,” Zierlein wrote. “He’s primarily a first- and third-level target, mixing a barrage of hitches and slants with go routes and posts. He’s fast enough to win over the top and talented with the ball in his hands to stretch short throws into longer yardage.</p><p>“(Harris’) route-running and contested-catch success both took an upturn but they still need work at the pro level. Of greater concern might be a second consecutive season of time missed due to injury. Harris might be capable of expanding his route tree a bit, but he looks locked in as an “X” receiver with big-game potential and a future home as a WR2.”</p><p>With their second pick, the Texans addressed the offensive line need by grabbing tackle Cameron Williams of Texas. He also brings <a href="https://www.nfl.com/prospects/cameron-williams/32005749-4c17-9522-2618-c8f6a74e6cb9" rel="noopener">a nice ceiling</a> to the mix for a late-third-round pick.</p><p>“Williams’ blend of desirable physical traits but subpar bend and foot quickness make him a tougher pro projection,” Zierlein wrote. “The technique will likely need a full year of work to help mitigate the aforementioned deficiencies and allow his traits to speak more loudly.</p><p>“He has the potential to impose his size on lesser opponents, but more skilled combatants will have the upper hand. Williams is more mauler than a mover in the run game, while his protection consistency should improve with more work. Experience should bring out his upside, but his ceiling could be an average starting right tackle.”</p><h2><b>Another offensive lineman grabbed in Round 5</b></h2><p>The Texans didn’t have a fourth-round pick, but addressed their need in Round 5 with Kansas tackle Logan Brown. The simulator remained on fire for this mock draft as Brown <a href="https://www.nfl.com/prospects/logan-brown/32004252-4f54-8859-c865-fcaab3f3eab0" rel="noopener">could also develop</a> into a starter.</p><p>“Traits-based developmental tackle with only one full season as a college starter,” Zierlein wrote. “Brown is high-cut but is unusually quick laterally and athletic in space for a player who plays so upright.</p><p>“He gets to zone-blocking landmarks and is forceful with move contact, but his pad level limits his consistency as a man-to-man blocker. His protection improved rapidly in-season, but he still needs to develop an inside-out approach with pass sets and learn to recognize rush games more quickly.”</p><p>The Texans wrapped things up with a pair of Round 7 picks. The got Colorado wide receiver Will Sheppard before adding Missouri wideout Theo Wease Jr.</p><p><i>Overall, this has the look of a grand-slam draft for the Texans. This could be a real draft the Texans might love. Grade: A-plus.</i></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Texans 7-round 2025 NFL mock draft, per PFF simulator

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-demeco-ryans-celebrates-new-addition-cj-gardner-johnson');   ga('set', 'title', 'Texans’ DeMeco Ryans loves that Eagles fans hate the CJ Gardner-Johnson trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Texans-news-DeMeco-Ryans-celebrates-new-addition-CJ-Gardner-Johnson.jpg"></figure><h1>Texans’ DeMeco Ryans loves that Eagles fans hate the CJ Gardner-Johnson trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-31T18:43:10-07:00">March 31st, 6:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-31T18:43:10-07:00">March 31st, 6:43pm</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a Senior Editor who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, The Needle Drop, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When the Houston Texans traded underperforming former first-round pick Kenyon Green and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Super Bowl Champion <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/eagles-news-philadelphia-trades-c-j-gardner-johnson-texans">Philadelphia Eagles for CJ Gardner-Johnson and a sixth-round pick</a>, the response was very one-sided.</p><p>Sure, saying goodbye to Green was an admission of defeat, and CJGJ’s contract has four void years worth <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/eagles-news-howie-roseman-reveals-future-reason-cj-gardner-johnson-trade">roughly $11 million on the books moving forward</a>, but Gardner-Johnson was a key part of the last two Eagles Super Bowl teams, with the squad falling apart in the year inbetween because he was with the Lions. If the Texans wanted to get to that level in the future, adding a player of Gardner-Johnson’s pedigree for such a meager return was as <a href="https://x.com/ZBerm/status/1906686273231765709" rel="noopener">close to a no-brainer</a> as one could hope for, right?</p><p>Well, while speaking to reporters in Palm Beach, DeMeco Ryans certainly thought so, as he noted that Philly fans’ collective disappointment reassured him that the Texans had landed themselves a good one.</p><p>If fan reaction was the sole arbiter of a trade’s winner, then the Texans unquestionably hit this one out of the park, as fans were almost as excited to see Green go as they were to bring CJGJ to town, especially after the additions of players like Cam Robinson and Laken Tomlinson to bolster the offensive line.</p><p>While the prospects of paying Gardner-Johnson between $3-4 million a year while he’s no longer with the team may be daunting – especially if he re-re-signs with Philadelphia – for now, he unquestionably upgrades the team with his position versatility and passion. Play him at free safety, put him in the box, or even give him a shot at his New Orleans Saints position, slot cornerback, and one way or the other, Ryans’ defense will be better off for it.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Texans’ DeMeco Ryans loves that Eagles fans hate the CJ Gardner-Johnson trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-houston-signs-ex-colts-defender-coming-off-career-year');   ga('set', 'title', 'Texans sign ex-Colts defender coming off career year');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Texans-news-Houston-signs-ex-Colts-defender-coming-off-career-year.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Texans sign ex-Colts defender coming off career year</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-29T13:00:16-07:00">March 29th, 1:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-29T13:00:16-07:00">March 29th, 1:00pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Texans are <a href="https://x.com/Schultz_Report/status/1906026009817731422" rel="noopener">signing</a> former Indianapolis Colts linebacker E.J. Speed to a one-year, $5 million deal, according to Fox Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz.</p><p>Speed, 29, is coming off a breakout 2024 season with the Colts in which he posted career highs across multiple defensive categories. In 15 games, he recorded 142 total tackles — 93 solo and 49 assisted — along with 13.5 stuffs for 16 yards, one interception for 12 yards, and five passes defended.</p><h2><b>Texans sign LB E.J. Speed after career-year with Colts</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/E.J.-Speed-45-tackles-Jacksonville-Jaguars-running-back-Travis-Etienne-Jr.-1.jpg"><figcaption>© Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>A fifth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Speed spent the past six seasons with Indianapolis, steadily growing into a key contributor on defense and special teams. Over his tenure with the Colts, he amassed 354 total tackles (242 solo, 112 assisted), 41 stuffs for 57 yards, six forced fumbles, two sacks, and one interception. He appeared in 78 regular-season games and made 18 starts, including a career-high 15 starts in 2024.</p><p>Speed’s arrival adds experience and depth to a Houston defense that has been actively reshaping its linebacker corps under head coach DeMeco Ryans. The Texans are coming off a second straight 10-7 regular season and back-to-back playoff appearances. In 2024, they reached the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-demeco-ryans-left-discouraged-after-divisional-round-loss-to-chiefs">AFC Divisional Round for the second straight year but fell short to the Kansas City Chiefs</a>.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-houston-inks-danielle-hunter-monster-35-6-million-extension">Houston also recently extended edge rusher Danielle Hunter</a> to a one-year, $35.6 million deal on March 19. Hunter, who signed with the team last offseason, is now set to make $54.1 million in fully guaranteed money over the next two seasons. The five-time Pro Bowler led the team with 16.5 sacks in 2024 and remains a central figure in the Texans’ defensive front.</p><p>With Speed joining the linebacking unit and Hunter locked in as a pass-rushing cornerstone, the Texans continue to invest heavily in a defense expected to compete at a high level in 2025.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Texans sign ex-Colts defender coming off career year

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/perfect-trade-houston-texans-complete-2025-nfl-free-agency-frenzy');   ga('set', 'title', 'Perfect trade Houston Texans must complete after 2025 NFL free agency frenzy');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Perfect-trade-Houston-Texans-must-complete-after-2025-NFL-free-agency-frenzy.jpg"></figure><h1>Perfect trade Houston Texans must complete after 2025 NFL free agency frenzy</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-23T20:41:08-07:00">March 23rd, 8:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-23T21:30:34-07:00">March 23rd, 9:30pm</time><address><a href="http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/">Enzo Flojo</a>Enzo Flojo is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints and a columnist for Asian basketball at FIBA. He brings a dynamic spirit and background, having expertise that spans writing, analytics, coaching, and broadcasting. He is also currently an Assistant Coach on Scouting &amp; Analytics for the Philippine national youth basketball team.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Over the past few seasons, the Houston Texans have transformed from a rebuilding team into a legitimate AFC contender. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/texans-news-cj-stroud-reveals-recent-matchup-chiefs-helps-playoff-battle">Led by the rapid rise</a> of CJ Stroud, Houston has positioned itself for sustained success. However, despite a flurry of activity during the 2025 free agency period, one glaring issue remains—the offensive line. If the Texans want to maximize their championship window and truly cement themselves as Super Bowl contenders, there’s one more trade they must make to shore up their biggest weakness.</p><h2>Texans’ Free Agency Has Left More Questions Than Answers</h2><p>Houston entered the 2025 offseason knowing they faced an uphill battle <a href="https://www.espn.ph/nfl/team/depth/_/name/hou/houston-texans">in upgrading the roster</a>. This was largely due to limited salary cap space. That challenge became evident early in free agency when the Texans <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/texans-news-houston-makes-depth-move-trading-laremy-tunsil">made the bold decision to trade away</a> Laremy Tunsil in an effort to free up financial flexibility. The problem? The Texans’ offensive line was already a major concern even with the five-time Pro Bowler anchoring it. Now, without him, the situation looks even more dire.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Houston-adds-ex-Vikings-tackle-after-Laremy-Tunsil-trade.jpg"></figure><p>Sure, Houston did attempt to fill the void by signing veteran tackles Cam Robinson and Trent Brown and trading for Ed Ingram. However, neither move is<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/texans-news-add-ex-vikings-tackle-after-laremy-tunsil-trade"> an outright upgrade over Tunsil</a>. The reality is that the Texans’ offensive line hasn’t improved—it may have even taken a step back. In 2024, Stroud was sacked a staggering 52 times. Unless Houston finds a way to better protect its franchise quarterback, those struggles could continue.</p><p>The silver lining is that the Texans reside in one of the NFL’s weaker divisions. Of course, simply being good enough to win the division won’t cut it if Houston has its sights set on a Super Bowl. Fixing the offensive line remains the top priority. The best way to do that could come through one more strategic trade—potentially acquiring additional draft capital to further reinforce the trenches.</p><p>Here we’ll try to look at the perfect trade that the Houston Texans must complete after the 2025 NFL free agency frenzy.</p><h2>Texans’ Efforts to Reinforce the Offensive Line</h2><p>Heading into free agency, the Texans were already facing significant concerns along the interior of their offensive line. However, they at least had a cornerstone piece in left tackle Laremy Tunsil, one of the league’s premier pass protectors. Fast forward a few weeks, and Tunsil is now a member of the Washington Commanders. The real question now isn’t whether the Texans should draft an offensive lineman in the first round—it’s whether they should trade up from Pick No. 25 to ensure they land a top-tier prospect.</p><h2>The Trade Houston Must Make</h2><p>After an eventful free agency period, Houston’s next move should be acquiring additional draft picks. This would give them more flexibility in addressing their offensive line. The Texans have already demonstrated a willingness to be aggressive in shaping their roster. Now, they need to capitalize on their remaining assets to ensure Stroud has the protection he needs.</p><p>Yes, the core of the Texans’ roster seems largely set. However, nothing should be considered off the table. This is especially true considering how Tunsil’s departure proved that even foundational pieces aren’t immune to trades. One potential trade chip is safety Jalen Pitre. Sure, Pitre has been a key piece in Houston’s secondary. That said, the arrival of CJ Gardner-Johnson and the continued development of second-year safety Calen Bullock make a trade at least feasible. With one year remaining on his contract, Pitre could attract interest from teams in need of a versatile defensive back. Given general manager Nick Caserio’s track record, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Texans make such a move.</p><p>One ideal trade partner could be the Minnesota Vikings. That’s a team looking to accelerate its rebuild. Houston could send Pitre, along with a mid-round pick, to Minnesota in exchange for an extra second-round selection in the upcoming draft. The Vikings could see value in such a deal. Meanwhile, the Texans would secure another high draft pick, giving them more opportunities to address their offensive line woes.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Texans-lose-Jalen-Pitre-for-season-with-injury-update.jpg"></figure><h2>Alternative Trade Scenarios</h2><p>Another potential avenue involves the Carolina Panthers. The Texans could package a defensive lineman like the seasoned Denico Autry with a future draft pick to acquire additional selections. Carolina, eager to bolster its defensive front, would likely be a willing trade partner. This would allow Houston to accumulate more draft capital and increase their chances of landing a premium offensive lineman.</p><p>A more ambitious strategy would be to target a proven young offensive lineman through a blockbuster trade. If the Texans could strike a deal for a rising star like Rashawn Slater from the Chargers or Alijah Vera-Tucker from the Jets, it would immediately transform their offensive line. However, acquiring a player of that caliber would require Houston to part with a premium asset—potentially a first-round pick or a key defensive player. While costly, such a move might be necessary to truly solidify Stroud’s protection for the long haul.</p><h2>Texans Must Act Now</h2><p>The Houston Texans have made significant strides in their rebuild, transforming into an AFC contender behind CJ Stroud’s rapid development, a young and dynamic defense, and an aggressive front office unafraid to take bold risks. However, their work is far from finished. The offensive line remains a glaring weakness, one that could derail their championship aspirations if left unaddressed. While free agency provided temporary solutions, the Texans must be proactive in securing long-term reinforcements. Whether it’s acquiring additional draft capital, flipping a veteran asset for younger talent, or making a splash move for a proven offensive lineman, Houston needs to act swiftly. If they execute the right trade, they won’t just be AFC South champions again—they’ll be legitimate Super Bowl contenders.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Perfect trade Houston Texans must complete after 2025 NFL free agency frenzy

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-houston-inks-danielle-hunter-monster-35-6-million-extension');   ga('set', 'title', 'Texans ink Danielle Hunter to monster $35.6 million extension');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Houston-inks-Danielle-Hunter-to-monster-35.jpg"></figure><h1>Texans ink Danielle Hunter to monster $35.6 million extension</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-19T17:14:34-07:00">March 19th, 5:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-19T17:36:25-07:00">March 19th, 5:36pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-houston-continues-defense-splurge-by-adding-former-chargers-lb">Texans went all out on defense</a> this offseason after reeling in several key additions through free agency. However, on Wednesday, the franchise rewarded superstar edge rusher Danielle Hunter by giving him a new contract extension. He’ll be a key piece to the defense for the long haul.</p><p>Hunter <a href="https://x.com/TomPelissero/status/1902507342064734590" rel="noopener">signed a one-year, $35.6 million extension</a> with the Texans, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. He’s now set to make $54.1 million in fully guaranteed money in the next two seasons.</p><p>“The Texans and Danielle Hunter have agreed to a one-year, $35.6 million contract extension that makes him the NFL’s second-highest paid defensive end, per sources. Hunter will make $32M this season — a $12.5M raise — and $55.1M ($54.1M fully guaranteed) over the next two seasons. Deal negotiated by Zeke Sandhu of Klutch Sports.”</p><p>Danielle Hunter is now the second-highest paid defensive end only behind Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett. The 2024 season was Hunter’s first away from the Minnesota Vikings. He proved to be ultra-consistent in Houston, recording 46 total tackles (31 solo), 12 sacks, and a forced fumble. His efforts earned him his fifth career Pro Bowl appearance.</p><p>This is the team’s second notable contract extension, as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-derek-stingley-jr-90-million-contract-extension-blows-away-record">the Texans gave cornerback Derek Stingly</a> a three-year, $90 million deal. Houston has made sure to bulk up its defense in an effort to remain more competitive against opposing offenses.</p><p>Houston finished last season with the NO. 6 ranked overall defense. The Texans allowed an average of 315 total yards of offense per game. The pass defense shined the most, as the unit held opponents to an average of just 201 passing yards per game.</p><p>Hunter’s presence on the defensive line helped the Texans’ secondary tremendously. He, along with teammate Will Anderson, proved to be a reliable force on the edge. That will continue into next season and beyond as Houston continues building the roster for a potential deep run in the playoffs in 2025.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Texans ink Danielle Hunter to monster $35.6 million extension

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-add-ex-vikings-tackle-after-laremy-tunsil-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Texans add ex-Vikings tackle after Laremy Tunsil trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Houston-adds-ex-Vikings-tackle-after-Laremy-Tunsil-trade.jpg"></figure><h1>Texans add ex-Vikings tackle after Laremy Tunsil trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-19T14:02:20-07:00">March 19th, 2:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-19T14:53:33-07:00">March 19th, 2:53pm</time><address><a>Derek Hryn</a>Derek Hryn is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints specializing in NFL and NCAA Football coverage. Derek was previously a fantasy football expert at DK and SB Nation, and he has been featured at FanSided, USA Today, NBC Sports, The New York Post, and others.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Texans are doing their best to shore up the offensive line, following <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-laremy-tunsil-breaks-silence-trade-commanders">the departure of Laremy Tunsil</a> via a trade at the start of NFL free agency.</p><p>The Texans <a href="https://x.com/Schultz_Report/status/1902441858363470202" rel="noopener">signed former</a> Minnesota Vikings tackle Cam Robinson on Wednesday, per Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Robinson appeared in 10 games for Minnesota in its 14-3 campaign. Selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Robinson should aid in the pass protection on either end of Houston’s O-line.</p><p>When the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/commanders-news-bombshell-laremy-tunsil-trade-texans">Texans shipped Tunsil to the Washington Commanders</a>, the concern arose for how vulnerable it left Houston’s offensive line to protect CJ Stroud. The team has been quick to add positional talent and defense thus far on the open market, and are back to addressing arguably their biggest offensive need.</p><h2><b>Texans get Cam Robinson after Laremy Tunsil trade</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Cam-Robinson.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It’s possible that head coach DeMeco Ryans and the coaching staff has their eye on <a href="https://www.click2houston.com/team/FS6OB7DGY03RI4N120W4J10FG3/" rel="noopener">a potential offensive line prospect</a>, or prospects, in the 2025 NFL Draft. That said, Tunsil leaves <a href="https://www.commanders.com/news/commanders-acquire-t-laremy-tunsil#:~:text=The%20Washington%20Commanders%20announced%20today,a%202026%20fourth%20round%20pick." rel="noopener">a huge void</a> for when OTAs and preseason training camp comes along. He’s made the last three Pro Bowls, and has averaged 16 games per season since 2022.</p><p>via Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 and click2houston.com:</p><p>“We can continue to improve on the offensive line,” Ryans said during a conversation with a handful of Houston reporters during the NFL scouting combine. “As everyone knows, we had some miscues there. I think hitting the reset button will allow us to, the guys we have, they played some good ball, it wasn’t all bad, but, collectively, I think we can do a better job just by everybody being on the same page, hearing one voice of how we’re communicating to the offensive line and I think that will help the guys we have.”</p><p>The Commanders acquired Tunsil and a 2025 fourth round pick in exchange for a 2025 third round pick, 2025 seventh round pick, 2026 second round pick and a 2026 fourth round pick.</p><p>Robinson has a ton of upside at this stage of his career. He makes up for Tunsil’s stature at 6-foot-6, 335 pounds. His biggest issue has been consistently staying on the field, despite the slight uptick in that department last season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Texans add ex-Vikings tackle after Laremy Tunsil trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/houston-texans-5-round-post-free-agency-frenzy-2025-nfl-mock-draft-per-pfn-simulator');   ga('set', 'title', 'Houston Texans 5-round post-free agency frenzy 2025 NFL mock draft, per PFN simulator');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Houston-Texans-5-round-post-free-agency-frenzy-2025-NFL-mock-draft-per-PFN-simulator.jpg"></figure><h1>Houston Texans 5-round post-free agency frenzy 2025 NFL mock draft, per PFN simulator</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-18T20:21:39-07:00">March 18th, 8:21pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-18T20:25:44-07:00">March 18th, 8:25pm</time><address><a href="http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/">Enzo Flojo</a>Enzo Flojo is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints and a columnist for Asian basketball at FIBA. He brings a dynamic spirit and background, having expertise that spans writing, analytics, coaching, and broadcasting. He is also currently an Assistant Coach on Scouting &amp; Analytics for the Philippine national youth basketball team.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Texans continue to make significant strides toward becoming a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Of course, this is fueled by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/texans-news-cj-stroud-delivers-words-of-wisdom-after-wild-card-win-over-chargers">the rapid rise of quarterback</a> CJ Stroud, an explosive receiving corps, and a relentless defensive unit. However, their 2025 offseason has been anything but straightforward. Free agency brought a mix of promise and problems. Offensive line concerns continue to dominate the headlines. Now, as the dust settles, Houston turns to the NFL Draft to fill key roster gaps and reinforce its standing among the AFC’s best. <a href="https://www.profootballnetwork.com/mockdraft">Using the Pro Football Network (PFN) simulator</a>, we conducted a five-round mock draft aimed at addressing Houston’s most pressing needs while securing long-term playmakers.</p><h2>Walking a Fine Line</h2><p>Heading into free agency, Houston’s top priority was clear—rebuilding the offensive line. The Texans struggled mightily to protect Stroud in 2024. As such, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/texans-news-laremy-tunsil-breaks-silence-trade-commanders">the shocking Day 1 trade</a> of Laremy Tunsil left fans stunned. As one of the premier left tackles in the NFL, Tunsil was a rare bright spot on a line that allowed Stroud to be sacked 52 times last season. Yes, penalties were an issue. However, he still graded as a top-five pass protector, per PFF. Now, Washington will likely look to extend him. This leaves Houston with a major hole on the blindside.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Laremy-Tunsil-breaks-silence-on-Houston-trade-to-Commanders.jpg"></figure><p>Houston didn’t stop there. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/eagles-texans-trade-grades-cj-gardner-johnson-deal">They also traded guard</a> Kenyon Green to Philadelphia in exchange for defensive back CJ Gardner-Johnson. Sure, Gardner-Johnson is a perfect fit for DeMeco Ryans’ defense and represents solid value. However, the move further depleted an already shaky offensive front. With two starting linemen now gone, Texans fans are left wondering—what’s the plan to protect Stroud? With uncertainty lingering, the 2025 NFL Draft has become a crucial turning point for Houston’s offensive future.</p><p>Here we’ll try to look at the Houston Texans 5-round post-free agency frenzy 2025 NFL mock draft, per PFN simulator.</p><h2>Round 1, Pick 28: Josh Simmons, OL, Ohio State</h2><p>With their offensive line in disarray, the Texans use their first-round selection on Josh Simmons. He is a dynamic and technically sound tackle from Ohio State. Simmons’ combination of agility, power, and refined technique makes him an excellent candidate to protect Stroud’s blindside. He possesses impressive flexibility, foot speed, balance, and hand placement. These give him a strong foundation for success in the NFL. Yes, he lacks elite power in the run game and is coming off an ACL tear in 2024. That said, his movement skills and football intelligence make him a worthy top-50 selection with the potential to start early. Simmons still needs some refinement in pass protection, but his upside and versatility give the Texans critical flexibility as they reconstruct their offensive front.</p><h2>Round 2, Pick 58: Jared Wilson, OL, Georgia</h2><p>After locking in a premier tackle in Round 1, Houston continues its offensive line revamp by selecting Jared Wilson. He is a smart and physically imposing center from Georgia. Sure, Wilson has only one year of starting experience. Still, he possesses the athleticism and movement skills necessary to thrive at the next level. He has the potential to become a long-term solution in the middle of Houston’s offensive line. That’s if he continues to develop his football IQ and anticipation.</p><h2>Round 3, Pick 81: Xavier Restrepo, WR, Miami</h2><p>Even with an already talented receiving corps, Houston makes a savvy value pick with Xavier Restrepo. He is a polished and reliable slot receiver from Miami. Restrepo’s route-running, strong hands, and ability to separate give him a high floor as a WR2/WR3 option. That’s despite lacking elite size and athleticism. We expect opponents to focus on slowing down Nico Collins and Tank Dell. As such, Restrepo could emerge as a key third-down target. He adds another layer of reliability to Houston’s passing attack.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Miami-wideout-Xavier-Restrepo-during-the-2025-NFL-Combine-at-Lucas-Oil-Stadium.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h2>Round 3, Pick 89: Dylan Fairchild, OL, Georgia</h2><p>The Texans double down on offensive line reinforcements here. They select Georgia’s Dylan Fairchild in Round 3. Fairchild is a powerful, technically sound guard with a mauler mentality. He excels in run blocking while holding his own in pass protection. Yes, he’s likely to start as interior depth. However, his consistent pass-blocking skills provide immediate value. If he can improve his functional strength, Fairchild has a real chance to develop into a starting-caliber guard. This further solidifies Houston’s offensive line transformation.</p><h2>Round 5, Pick 166: Damien Martinez, RB, Miami</h2><p>With their final selection in this mock draft, Houston adds a physical and elusive running back in Damien Martinez. Martinez has the size and running style to excel as an early-down back. He can also consistently force missed tackles with his combination of balance and power. Sure, he projects as part of a committee backfield. That said, his ability to generate tough yards makes him a valuable addition.</p><h2>Final Thoughts</h2><p>The Texans’ post-free agency mock draft, conducted via the PFN simulator, is a clear response to their most glaring weaknesses. By prioritizing the offensive line early and often, Houston takes essential steps toward keeping CJ Stroud upright and maximizing the team’s offensive potential. The addition of Xavier Restrepo gives Stroud another reliable weapon in the passing game, while Damien Martinez brings much-needed depth to the backfield. If these selections pan out, the Texans will be well-positioned to build on their recent success and take the next step toward true AFC contention. The 2025 draft will be a defining moment for Houston, and if they execute a strategy similar to this mock, they could be one of the most well-rounded teams in the league.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Houston Texans 5-round post-free agency frenzy 2025 NFL mock draft, per PFN simulator

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-ronald-darby-signs-2-5-million-deal');   ga('set', 'title', 'Texans sign journeyman DB on $2.5 million deal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Texans-news-Houston-signs-journeyman-DB-on-2.jpg"></figure><h1>Texans sign journeyman DB on $2.5 million deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-17T16:01:44-07:00">March 17th, 4:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-17T16:01:44-07:00">March 17th, 4:01pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-houston-continues-defense-splurge-by-adding-former-chargers-lb">Texans have been busy acquiring defensive talent</a> this offseason and did so again on Monday. In what could be a smart move, the front office improved the depth of the secondary after signing journeyman Ronald Darby.</p><p>Darby’s <a href="https://x.com/TomPelissero/status/1901732587313180933" rel="noopener">officially signs a one-year $2.5 million deal</a>, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. The contract puts him in line to be a backup to Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter, and Jalen Pitre.</p><p>“Veteran CB Ronald Darby is signing a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Texans, per source.”</p><p>The 2025 season will be the 11th of Darby’s career. Before signing with the Texans, the 31-year-old cornerback has played for several teams in the league. He began his career in 2015 with the Buffalo Bills. After playing there for two seasons, Darby moved on to play with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also spent a one-year stint with the Washington Commanders and also played two seasons with the Denver Broncos. The seasoned veteran played for the Baltimore Ravens as well and served as a solid option for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024.</p><p>Darby had one of the best years of his career with the Jaguars after recording 46 total tackles (36 solo) and nine pass deflections. His consistency as a tackler provides solid depth at the cornerback position for the Texans.</p><p>Darby joins a loaded Texans secondary. With Stingley, Lassiter, and Pitre holding it down at the cornerback positions, Houston made a big trade this offseason to acquire former Eagles star CJ Gardner-Johnson to play alongside Calen Bullock at the safety positions.</p><p>Houston has emphasized the secondary this offseason. That was especially true after the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-derek-stingley-jr-90-million-contract-extension-blows-away-record">Texans gave Stingley a three-year, $90 million contract</a> extension with $89 million gauaranteed. It was a record-breaking deal that made Stingley the highest-paid defensive back in league history. It’s a sign that bodes well for other young cornerbacks in the league like New York Jets star Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner who is still on his rookie deal.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Texans sign journeyman DB on $2.5 million deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-laremy-tunsil-breaks-silence-trade-commanders');   ga('set', 'title', 'Laremy Tunsil breaks silence on Texans trade to Commanders');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Laremy-Tunsil-breaks-silence-on-Houston-trade-to-Commanders.jpg"></figure><h1>Laremy Tunsil breaks silence on Texans trade to Commanders</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-17T14:26:59-07:00">March 17th, 2:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-17T14:48:35-07:00">March 17th, 2:48pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Texans allowed the second-most sacks in the NFL last season as quarterback C.J. Stroud was taken down 52 times in his sophomore season. Despite the offensive line woes, the Texans made the surprise <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-bombshell-laremy-tunsil-trade-texans">decision to trade Laremy Tunsil</a> this offseason, sending the standout left tackle to the Washington Commanders.</p><p>After spending six seasons with the Texans and being selected to five Pro Bowls as a member of the team, Tunsil is <a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/laremy-tunsil-has-no-hard-feelings-toward-texans-after-trade-to-commanders-can-t-wait-to-block-for-jayden-daniels" rel="noopener">at peace</a> with Houston’s decision.</p><p>“At the end of the day, it’s a business. I don’t take anything personal. It’s no hard feelings against the Houston Texans,” Tunsil said, per Nick Shook of NFL.com.</p><p>“They drafted some young guys, and they hit on every draft pick. They’re trying to keep those guys together, so I fully understand,” he added.</p><h2><b>The Texans moved on from LT Laremy Tunsil</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Laremy-Tunsil.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Texans have unquestionably done well in the draft in recent years. The team added cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. with the third overall pick in the 2022 draft. This offseason, Houston made Stingley the highest-paid defensive back in football history with a three-year, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-derek-stingley-jr-90-million-contract-extension-blows-away-record">$90 million extension</a> that includes $89 million guaranteed.</p><p>In 2023, the Texans struck gold again, using the second and third overall picks in the draft to select Stroud and linebacker Will Anderson Jr. Stroud went on to win Offensive Rookie of the Year and Anderson made the Pro Bowl in his first season.</p><p>Houston knows big extensions are coming up for both players and the team needs cap space to keep them in town. So, while Tunsil remains one of the league’s best pass blockers entering his age-31 season, the Texans are betting they can find a suitable replacement left tackle in the draft and use the savings to keep their young core together.</p><p>Still, Tunsil is excited to head to Washington and play for another dynamic, young passer. “I’ll tell you this, I damn sure can’t wait to block for Jayden Daniels… He’s a baller. … He’s gonna make my job hella easy,” Tunsil said, via NFL.com.</p><p>The Texans pulled the trigger on another offseason trade, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/christian-kirk-trade-grading-texans-jaguars-blockbuster-deal">landing wideout Christian Kirk</a> from the Jacksonville Jaguars for a seventh-round draft pick. Kirk will join Nico Collins in Houston’s WR room as Tank Dell is expected to miss the upcoming season recovering from a brutal knee injury sustained in 2024.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Laremy Tunsil breaks silence on Texans trade to Commanders

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-houstons-reaction-90-million-derek-stingley-jr-contract-extension');   ga('set', 'title', 'Texans’ immediate reaction to $90 million Derek Stingley Jr. contract extension');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Texans-news-Houstons-immediate-reaction-to-90-million-Derek-Stingley-Jr.-contract-extension.jpg"></figure><h1>Texans’ immediate reaction to $90 million Derek Stingley Jr. contract extension</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-17T12:00:47-07:00">March 17th, 12:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-17T12:00:47-07:00">March 17th, 12:00pm</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints. He recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Sport Management and for a while ran his own sports website. Sports are his passion, and he thoroughly enjoys writing about thoughts and opinions that are related to the game. He has been a lifelong fan of the major professional teams in Boston and loves discussing all topics surrounding those teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/texans-news-houston-continues-defense-splurge-by-adding-former-chargers-lb">Houston Texans have had a busy offseason</a> so far, but they made their biggest move when they signed star cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/texans-news-derek-stingley-jr-90-million-contract-extension-blows-away-record">historic three-year, $90 million contract extension</a> on Monday morning. In the wake of the news being announced, the team <a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonTexans/status/1901632735204036762" rel="noopener">shared a hilarious immediate reaction</a> to the deal on social media.</p><p>After being selected with the third overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft, Stingley enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024 with Houston, earning his first Pro Bowl selection, in addition to a first-team All-Pro honor as well. The Texans rewarded Stingley with the most expensive contract for a cornerback in NFL history, and once news of the deal came out, they made an awesome post on X, formerly Twitter.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="zxx"><a href="https://t.co/G3kV4BbqHZ">pic.twitter.com/G3kV4BbqHZ</a></p><p>— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonTexans/status/1901632735204036762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Texans solidify secondary with Derek Stingley Jr. contract extension</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Texans-cornerback-Derek-Stingley-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Stingley was solid in his first two seasons for Houston, but he struggled to stay on the field due to a variety of injuries. He put everything together in 2024, though, racking up 54 tackles, five interceptions, and 18 passes defended. Stingley only allowed 47.1% of the passes thrown in his direction get completed, and opposing quarterbacks posted a lowly 51.2 passer rating when targeting him in the air.</p><p>As a result of his incredible campaign, the Texans decided to not wait any longer and extend Stingley right now, resetting the cornerback market in the process. Stingley will be locking down one side of the field for Houston for the foreseeable future, which should help their defense remain an elite unit after they took some big steps forward in 2024.</p><p>With Stingley locked up, the Texans can focus on adding to other areas of their roster. Adding some more help on offense, particularly along their offensive line and at wide receiver, could be what the front office turns their attention towards moving forward, but for now, they will be celebrating this massive extension with Stingley.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Texans’ immediate reaction to $90 million Derek Stingley Jr. contract extension

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-derek-stingley-jr-90-million-contract-live-tv-shoutout-chargers-star');   ga('set', 'title', 'Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr.’s $90 million contract earns live TV shoutout from Chargers star');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Derek-Stingley-Jr.s-90-million-contract-earns-live-TV-shoutout-from-Chargers-star.jpg"></figure><h1>Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr.’s $90 million contract earns live TV shoutout from Chargers star</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-17T11:45:18-07:00">March 17th, 11:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-17T11:45:18-07:00">March 17th, 11:45am</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Texans paid one of their best young players, giving cornerback <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-derek-stingley-jr-90-million-contract-extension-blows-away-record">Derek Stingley Jr. a $90 million extension</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1901631207663702277" rel="noopener">which drew comments from</a> Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James, who was on Good Morning Football on Monday.</p><p>“Shout out my guy, David Mulugheta,” Derwin James said on Good Morning Football. “Shout out those guys. Derek Stingley, Athletes First. Shout out the guys, love. Man.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chargers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chargers</a> star S Derwin James, live on <a href="https://twitter.com/gmfb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@gmfb</a>, reacts to the record-breaking contract for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texans?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Texans</a> CB Derek Stingley Jr. <a href="https://t.co/pQwOQT2qSG">pic.twitter.com/pQwOQT2qSG</a></p><p>— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1901631207663702277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>James and Stingley share agents, and David Mulugheta is known for negotiating many large contracts for defensive backs, with Stingley being the latest example. James is currently on a four-year deal worth just over $76.5 million. James was glad to see Stingley get a large deal.</p><p>“30 (million) a year? DBs getting paid like that? Wow!” James said. “I think the last DB was just getting 25 or something like that.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/lsu-football-news-jamarr-chase-derek-stingley-jr-bonkers-total-2019-title-team">Stingley joins many other stars</a> from the 2019 LSU football team in getting a large contract. When asked what makes Stingley so good, James referenced the Chargers’ 32-12 loss in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.</p><p>“I mean, we played them in the playoffs I think he had like a pick or two against us,” James said. “He’s able to guard your number ones. He could do it all, can play zone. Got good ball skills, some of the best ball skills at corner. All-around player.”</p><p>Stingley did have two interceptions that day, returning both interceptions for a combined 70 yards, helping the Texans reach the divisional round of the playoffs, where they lost a hard-fought game to the Kansas City Chiefs.</p><p>The Texans have several good, young players on their roster, with Stingley perhaps headlining the group outside of CJ Stroud. Stingley is one of the top cornerbacks in the game, and he has justified the selection of him at No. 3 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.</p><p>With Stingley locked in for the long-term, the Texans will look to continue to add pieces to try to get over the hump and win a Super Bowl.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr.’s $90 million contract earns live TV shoutout from Chargers star

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/ncaa-football/lsu-football-news-jamarr-chase-derek-stingley-jr-bonkers-total-2019-title-team');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ja’Marr Chase, Derek Stingley Jr. contracts add to bonkers total for 2019 LSU title team');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/LSU-football-news-JaMarr-Chase-Derek-Stingley-Jr.-contracts-add-to-bonkers-total-for-2019-title-team.jpg"><figcaption>SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Content Services, LLC</figcaption></figure><h1>Ja’Marr Chase, Derek Stingley Jr. contracts add to bonkers total for 2019 LSU title team</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-17T09:45:11-07:00">March 17th, 9:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-17T09:46:02-07:00">March 17th, 9:46am</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Bengals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Following a disappointing 2024, LSU football fans are probably reminiscing about the program’s last reign at the top, which took place during the historically dominant 2019 season. That team’s impact far transcends Baton Rouge, however. The latest, record-setting NFL contract extensions that former Tigers stars Ja’Marr Chase and Derek Stingley Jr. just signed only enhances the legacy of that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/only-remnant-of-2019-lsu-championship-team-gets-incredible-honor-before-season">all-time-great group</a>.</p><p>Both of these All-American national champions cashed in on All-Pro campaigns and are now the highest-paid players ever at their respective positions. After winning the wide receiver triple crown and finishing third in Offensive Player of the year voting, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-jamarr-chase-immediate-reaction-161-million-extension">Chase inked a colossal four-year, $161 million deal</a> with the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. His contract is bigger than that of any non-quarterback in NFL history.</p><p>Stingley did not wait long to secure his own monumental payday. The 23-year-old resets the cornerback market after reaching a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-derek-stingley-jr-90-million-contract-extension-blows-away-record">new contract with the Houston Texans</a> for three years, $90 million. He recorded five interceptions, 18 pass breakups and 37 solo tackles last season. With these latest extensions, the 2019 LSU football Tigers now have the green to reinforce their already strong claim as the best college team of all-time.</p><h2><b>Ja’Marr Chase, Derek Stingley Jr. add to insane LSU-themed financial figure</b></h2><p>When combining Chase and Stingley’s future earnings with 2019 Heisman Trophy winner and current Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Minnesota Vikings star wideout Justin Jefferson, the core Tigers players have agreed to <a href="https://x.com/Ben_Baby/status/1901627784805470430" rel="noopener">a staggering value of $666 million</a> on their second contracts, per ESPN’s Ben Baby. The SEC schools that witnessed LSU go 15-0 and defeat Clemson in the national title game would probably consider that number to be all too appropriate.</p><p>With or without dark magic, though, what that squad accomplished will permanently live in the record books. Now, those four aforementioned talents are aiming to capture ultimate glory at the professional level.</p><p>Ja’Marr Chase will continue to join Burrow and fellow receiver Tee Higgins (<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/tee-higgins-reaction-to-bengals-115-million-contract-extension-goes-viral">also signed a new deal</a> on Sunday) in forming one of the NFL’s most potent passing attacks, while Derek Stingley Jr. and Will Anderson lead a Texans defense that should be impactful for the years to come.</p><p>In the meanwhile, LSU fans are surely grateful to celebrate something positive related to their program.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ja’Marr Chase, Derek Stingley Jr. contracts add to bonkers total for 2019 LSU title team

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-york-jets/nfl-rumors-jets-chiefs-stars-licking-chops-derek-stingley-jr-90-million-contract');   ga('set', 'title', 'NFL rumors: Jets, Chiefs stars licking chops after Derek Stingley Jr.’s $90 million contract');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jets-Chiefs-stars-licking-chops-after-Derek-Stingley-Jr.s-90-million-contract.jpg"></figure><h1>NFL rumors: Jets, Chiefs stars licking chops after Derek Stingley Jr.’s $90 million contract</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-17T07:46:38-07:00">March 17th, 7:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-17T07:46:38-07:00">March 17th, 7:46am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-derek-stingley-jr-90-million-contract-extension-blows-away-record">Texans and Derek Stingley Jr. recently agreed</a> to a three-year, $90 million extension that will make him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. Just a week ago, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/carolina-panthers/panthers-news-carolina-signs-pro-bowler-historic-100-million-contract-extension">Jaycee Horn and the Carolina Panthers agreed</a> to a deal to make him the highest paid, but it was obvious that he <a href="https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/1901627341454909607" rel="noopener">set the market for cornerbacks</a> with his contract.</p><p>Stingley has now set the market for cornerbacks, and it’s two players in particular who will be waiting to get around the same money, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.</p><p>“Today’s three-year extension for Derek Stingley Jr. will be of interest to the other CB from his draft class, Sauce Gardner and the New York Jets,” Schefter wrote on X, formerly Twitter.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NFL rumors: Jets, Chiefs stars licking chops after Derek Stingley Jr.’s $90 million contract

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-derek-stingley-jr-90-million-contract-extension-blows-away-record');   ga('set', 'title', 'Derek Stingley Jr.’s $90 million contract extension blows away record');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Texans-news-Derek-Stingley-Jr.s-90-million-contract-extension-blows-away-record.jpg"></figure><h1>Derek Stingley Jr.’s $90 million contract extension blows away record</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-17T06:45:17-07:00">March 17th, 6:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-17T07:14:36-07:00">March 17th, 7:14am</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Texans are making moves to upgrade their defense this offseason. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/eagles-texans-trade-grades-cj-gardner-johnson-deal">Houston already agreed to trade for Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson</a>. Now the Texans have handed out a huge contract extension to one of the rising stars in their secondary.</p><p>The Texans have signed All-Pro CB Derek Stingley Jr. to a <a href="https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/1901626296376926597" rel="noopener">three-year extension worth $90 million</a> per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Stingley’s contract features a whopping $89 million guaranteed.</p><p>Stingley now becomes the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history with a base contract value of $30 million per season.</p><p>This probably will not be Stingley’s last big pay day during his NFL career. Stingley is currently set to hit free agency again at the age of 28 after this extension expires.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-derek-stingley-breaks-down-interceptions-tua-tagovailoa">Stingley has emerged as one of the best young cornerbacks in the NFL</a> over the past few seasons. He is coming off back-to-back seasons with five interceptions and 10+ passes defensed.</p><p>Stingley earned First-Team All Pro honors for his impressive 2024 season. He showed up strong during the playoffs, logging five passes defensed and two interceptions during Houston’s two playoff games in January.</p><p>The Texans will now continue building their secondary with Stingley as their crown jewel. He will continue to ascend along with fellow youngsters Kamari Lassiter, Jalen Pitre, and Calen Bullock.</p><h2><b>Texans reinforce their defense with a number of smart free agency moves</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Sheldon-Rankins.jpg"><figcaption>© Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Texans made a number of smart additions to their defense during the first week of NFL free agency.</p><p>Houston added some fresh faces on defense and retained some familiar faces. The defensive line was one area where the Texans seemed determined to add depth.</p><p>The Texans brought in DT Sheldon Rankins from the Bengals on a one-year contract. Rankins was a starter for the Bengals in 2024 and projects to start next to Tommy Togiai for the Texans in 2025. Since he signed a one-year contract, it is reasonable to suggest that Houston may spend a draft pick at DT to solidify the future of the position.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-houston-adds-playoff-experience-2-free-agents">Houston also added depth at edge rusher, adding Darrell Taylor</a> and bringing back Derek Barnett. They will both serve as depth behind Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-houston-continues-defense-splurge-by-adding-former-chargers-lb">Texans also brought in former Rams linebacker Nick Niemann</a> on a two-year deal worth $6.5 million. He is a career special teamer who has only started three games at linebacker. Niemann will likely be a special teams contributor in Houston as well.</p><p>Finally, Houston added CB Tremon Smith on a two-year contract. Like Niemann, he projects as a special teamer and depth piece.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Derek Stingley Jr.’s $90 million contract extension blows away record

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/houston-texans-5-round-post-combine-2025-nfl-mock-draft-per-pff-simulator');   ga('set', 'title', 'Houston Texans 5-round post-combine 2025 NFL mock draft, per PFF simulator');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Houston-Texans-5-round-post-combine-2025-NFL-mock-draft-per-PFF-simulator.jpg"></figure><h1>Houston Texans 5-round post-combine 2025 NFL mock draft, per PFF simulator</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-11T20:28:59-07:00">March 11th, 8:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-11T20:30:31-07:00">March 11th, 8:30pm</time><address><a href="http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/">Enzo Flojo</a>Enzo Flojo is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints and a columnist for Asian basketball at FIBA. He brings a dynamic spirit and background, having expertise that spans writing, analytics, coaching, and broadcasting. He is also currently an Assistant Coach on Scouting &amp; Analytics for the Philippine national youth basketball team.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Texans made significant strides in 2024, emerging as one of the AFC’s most promising teams. With second-year quarterback CJ Stroud at the helm and head coach DeMeco Ryans guiding the way, Houston posted a 10-7 record. They secured a playoff spot and advanced to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/texans-most-blame-divisional-round-loss-chiefs">the Divisional Round before being eliminated</a> by the Kansas City Chiefs. Now, with a solid foundation in place and strategic offseason moves, the Texans are in prime position to elevate their game in 2025. To make a deeper postseason push, however, <a href="https://www.espn.ph/nfl/team/depth/_/name/hou/houston-texans">they must address key roster needs</a> through the NFL Draft. Using Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) simulator, we ran a five-round mock draft to explore how Houston can bolster its squad and strengthen its championship aspirations.</p><h2>Offseason So Far</h2><p>Heading into 2024, expectations for the Texans were on the up and up. Despite some bumps, they were generally on-target. Stroud built upon his stellar rookie season, surpassing 3,700 passing yards and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/texans-news-c-j-stroud-makes-generational-nico-collins-andre-johnson-comparison">leading an entertaining offense</a> featuring Nico Collins, Joe Mixon, and Dalton Schultz. Defensively, Will Anderson Jr and Danielle Hunter <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/texans-news-danielle-hunter-saw-a-bond-with-cj-stroud-stefon-diggs-prior-to-texans-trade">played key roles</a>, though the unit showed inconsistency at times. Houston’s 10-7 finish was enough to claim the AFC South title, and they triumphed over the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card round.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/CJ-Stroud-1.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Now, however, Houston faces a major transition at left tackle following the trade of Laremy Tunsil. The five-time Pro Bowler was sent to the Washington Commanders in exchange for additional draft capital. While this move reshapes the offensive line, this mock draft is still based on the <a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/2025-nfl-draft-order-for-all-seven-rounds">latest available 2025 NFL Draft order</a>.</p><p>Here we’ll try to look at the Houston Texans’ 5-round post-combine 2025 NFL mock draft, per the PFF simulator.</p><h2>Round 1, Pick 25: Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina</h2><p>Houston’s offense has been electric, but their ground game could still see some improvement. Mixon was solid with more than 1,000 rushing yards. However, Neither Dameon Pierce didn’t exactly provide the game-changing impact needed. As such, running back remains a clear priority. Enter Omarion Hampton, the dynamic rusher from North Carolina. Hampton’s blend of size, explosiveness, and lower-body power makes him one of the most physically gifted backs in this class. He thrives in zone schemes as a slashing runner. However, his vision remains a work in progress. If he lands behind a strong offensive line, he could become a high-upside weapon, though his success may hinge on how well Houston’s blocking unit holds up.</p><h2>Round 2, Pick 58: Joshua Farmer, DL, Florida State</h2><p>Despite the Texans’ defensive improvement last season, they still need reinforcements along the interior defensive line. Joshua Farmer from Florida State is an ideal fit. He is a disruptive force who can push the pocket and stifle the run. Yes, Farmer is still developing as a defensive lineman. However, his raw power and quick first step make him an intriguing prospect. With better anticipation and technique, Farmer has the potential to become a formidable pass-rusher. Still, he must improve as a run defender to earn consistent playing time. Under DeMeco Ryans’ tutelage, Farmer could develop into a key contributor for Houston’s evolving defense.</p><h2>Round 3, Pick 89: Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State</h2><p>Houston’s receiving corps is strong, but another deep threat would elevate the unit even further. Enter Jalen Royals, the Utah State standout who was among the most productive vertical playmakers in college football. His combination of breakaway speed and sharp route-running allows him to create separation downfield. Yes, he may not have elite athletic traits. That said, Royals is a reliable possession receiver with impressive after-the-catch ability. Combining him with Collins, Schultz, and Tank Dell would give CJ Stroud another weapon. That would further unlock the Texans’ passing attack and make them even more dangerous in 2025.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jalen-Royals-during-the-2025-NFL-Combine-at-Lucas-Oil-Stadium.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h2>Round 4, Pick 128: Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson</h2><p>DeMeco Ryans knows the value of an athletic, sideline-to-sideline linebacker. Barrett Carter fits that mold. Though he needs to add strength, Carter’s versatility and range make him an intriguing addition to Houston’s defense. As a weakside linebacker, he could serve as a valuable chess piece in sub-packages while also contributing on special teams. Carter has the potential to develop into a defensive leader in the coming years. This is especially true given the Texans’ need for more speed and playmaking ability at linebacker.</p><h2>Round 5, Pick 166: Jackson Hawes, TE, Georgia Tech</h2><p>Dalton Schultz has been a reliable target for Stroud. However, the Texans could benefit from adding depth at tight end. Jackson Hawes may not be a prolific receiving threat. Still, his blocking ability makes him an ideal TE3 in heavier offensive packages. With his size and physicality, Hawes can serve as a red-zone and short-yardage asset while developing into a more well-rounded player. This pick gives Houston long-term value at a position that often goes overlooked but plays a crucial role in offensive versatility.</p><h2>Final Thoughts</h2><p>With their impressive progress in 2024, the Texans have positioned themselves as legitimate contenders in the AFC. However, to take the next step, they must continue adding young, high-upside talent through the draft. This five-round mock addresses key needs on both sides of the ball, bolstering the running game, defensive line, receiving corps, and overall depth. If Houston executes a similar draft strategy in April, they will be well-equipped to build upon last season’s success and push even deeper into the playoffs in 2025. The pieces are coming together—now it’s up to the front office to put the finishing touches on a roster that can compete with the best.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Houston Texans 5-round post-combine 2025 NFL mock draft, per PFF simulator

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/celebrity/taylor-swift-fans-react-cj-gardner-johnson-trade-nsfw-comments');   ga('set', 'title', 'Taylor Swift fans react to CJ Gardner-Johnson trade after NSFW comments');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Taylor-Swift-fans-react-to-CJ-Gardner-Johnson-trade-after-NSFW-comments.jpg"></figure><h1>Taylor Swift fans react to CJ Gardner-Johnson trade after NSFW comments</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-11T17:39:16-07:00">March 11th, 5:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-11T17:39:16-07:00">March 11th, 5:39pm</time><address><a>Autumn Hawkins</a>Autumn Hawkins is an Associate Entertainment Editor at ClutchPoints. She enjoys writing about music, lifestyle, film, and television. When she's not writing, she is trying the newest makeup trend, reading a romance novel, or planning her next trip. She is also a proud member of the BeyHive.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Celebrity</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Taylor Swift fans are not mad at the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/texans-news-cj-gardner-johnsons-immediate-reaction-trade-houston" rel="noopener">Philadelphia Eagles’ recent trade of CJ Gardner-Johnson.</a> The former Eagles safety got traded on Tuesday (March 11) to the Houston Texans for Kenyon Green. NFL fans were puzzled by his trade since he had two years left on his $27 million contract, which he signed last March.</p><p>However, Swift fans rejoiced over the constant disrespect that Gardner-Johnson has shown the singer and her boyfriend Travis Kelce. It first started out when Gardner-Johnson posted a photo of Kelce on Instagram Story of him in front of the Kansas City Chiefs tight end at the game and wrote, “Should have stayed with the thick sh*t,” referring to the tight end’s ex-girlfriend Kayla Nicole. The sports reporter and Kelce dated on and off from 2017-2022.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">😳 CJ Gardner-Johnson just posted this on his story. “Should’ve stayed w that thick s****” <a href="https://t.co/10eBSLey1q">pic.twitter.com/10eBSLey1q</a></p><p>— SAY CHEESE! 👄🧀 (@SaycheeseDGTL) <a href="https://twitter.com/SaycheeseDGTL/status/1888981625502912924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/kayla-nicole-true-feelings-taylor-swift-travis-kelce-romance" rel="noopener">Kayla Nicole has been transparent about the backlash</a> that she has received from people online.</p><p>“I would be lying if I said that that level of hate and just online chaos doesn’t impact me,” Kayla Nicole said in her interview with Angel Reese on her “Unapologetically Angel” podcast last year. “You could go to my most recent post and it’ll be people debating why I’m worthless and how I’ll never be a talented person.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>“It is nothing to do with me,” she continued. “I think there is something about that level of fame that attracts crazy people, which is unfortunate because I don’t think I have done anything to warrant that kind of backlash.”</p><p>However, Gardner-Johnson did not stop and made a direct attack at Swift during the Eagles Super Bowl parade. The Eagles beat the Chiefs 40-22 at Super Bowl 59 and the safety took it as another opportunity to attack the singer.</p><p>The former Eagles safety wore a <a href="https://x.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1890437906705060101" rel="noopener">hooded sweatshirt</a> that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/eagles-news-c-j-gardner-johnson-nsfw-message-swifties-super-bowl-59-parade" rel="noopener">read “Swifties Can LIX My B—-” during the Eagles Super Bowl celebration parade</a> last month.</p><h2>Taylor Swift Fans React To CJ Gardner-Johnson Trade</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Taylor-Swift-.jpg"><figcaption>© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Well, unfortunately for Gardner-Johnson, Swifties are getting the last laugh. Swift fans were quick to react to Gardner-Johnson’s trade and even insinuating that his treatment of the singer had something to with it.</p><p>‘The Eagles probably traded CJ Gardner-Johnson partly because of the Taylor Swift thing. Let’s not lie here,” one fan reacted.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Eagles probably traded CJ Gardner-Johnson partly because of the Taylor Swift thing. Let’s not lie here.</p><p>— 🌮👸🏾 (@Cathom_4) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cathom_4/status/1899486360630677962?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Didn’t know who CJGJ was until he showed his a– during the Super Bowl win and now he’s being traded to the Houston Texas. karma is Tay’s boyfriend,” another fan reacted as they referenced Swift’s hit song “Karma.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Didn’t know who CJGJ was until he showed his ass during the Super Bowl win and now he’s being traded to the Houston Texas 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 karma is Tay’s boyfriend</p><p>— tay’eo’ska 💕🇵🇸 (@eo_bells) <a href="https://twitter.com/eo_bells/status/1899491661001998470?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Taylor Swift somehow <a href="https://x.com/BecaDynastyFF/status/1899472403140407506" rel="noopener">worked her magic</a> to get CJ Gardner-Johnson traded out of Philly after that parade shirt,” an X user suggested.</p><p>As for the trade, Gardner-Johnson addressed fans and the Eagles franchise in a lengthy message on Instagram.</p><p>“Thank you for trusting a kid from Florida with a chip on his shoulder to lead this defense,” he penned about his time after his 2022 and 2024 stint with the team.“And to the Philly Faithful-you’re unmatched. You embraced my edge and fire, for this game even when I got too hot.”</p><p>“Philly, you helped me carve my name into this league. But this isn’t goodbye. It’s thank you.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="instagram-media"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DHEHnmMuxvc/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div><div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div><div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"><div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"><div></div><div></div><div></div></div></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 24px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div><p></p></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DHEHnmMuxvc/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Ceedy Duce (@ceedy.duce)</a></p></div></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Taylor Swift fans react to CJ Gardner-Johnson trade after NSFW comments

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-houston-continues-defense-splurge-by-adding-former-chargers-lb');   ga('set', 'title', 'Texans continue to splurge on defense by adding former Chargers LB');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Texans-news-Houston-continues-to-splurge-on-defense-by-adding-former-Chargers-LB.jpg"></figure><h1>Texans continue to splurge on defense by adding former Chargers LB</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-11T17:25:10-07:00">March 11th, 5:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-11T17:25:28-07:00">March 11th, 5:25pm</time><address><a>Dylan Fine</a>Dylan Fine focuses on the NFL and NCAA Football for ClutchPoints, in addition to working on the meme team. Dylan is a graduate of Georgetown University and has covered various topics ranging from local politics in the DMV region with DC Voter For Animals to live sporting events in the Long Island and Rochester areas with The Southampton Press and Pickin’Splinters. When he isn't working, he's usually running in preparation for the next annual Turkey Trot.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Texans continued their spending splurge during free agency, adding a Los Angeles Chargers linebacker. Head coach DeMeco Ryan’s team is trying to take that good-to-great step this offseason and has already made a series of major moves. That includes  among a series of defensive additions.</p><p>The AFC South powerhouse is continuing its aggressive moves on Tuesday. According to NFL Insider Tom Pelissero, the Texans <a href="https://x.com/TomPelissero/status/1899584684423790676" rel="noopener">are signing</a> LB Nick Niemann to a two-year, $6.5 million deal. The 27-year-old is a versatile linebacker who is also considered an elite special teams player. </p><h2><b>Nick Niemann strengthens the Houston Texans in multiple areas</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Texans-Nick-Niemann.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>A 2021 pick out of the University of Iowa, Niemann has spent his entire career with the Charges. The Waterloo, Iowa native has recorded 87 total tackles throughout his career as well as an interception and three passes defended. Niemann is an asset on Houston’s special teams and in the run defense. His athleticism and physical play will be a welcomed addition to a roster hungry to take that next step up the AFC hierarchy.</p><p>Head coach DeMeco Ryans has had an impressive tenure with the Texans to this point. Inheriting a franchise that was coming off a 3-13-1 season, Ryans has won two straight AFC South titles. Houston has additionally, on both occasions, won a playoff game and made it to the Divisional Round. Unfortunately, the Texans’ past season ended in a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-most-blame-divisional-round-loss-chiefs" rel="noopener">tight loss to</a><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-most-blame-divisional-round-loss-chiefs"> the No. 1 seed Kansas City Chiefs</a>. This was the second year Houston was eliminated by the top seed in the AFC.</p><p>DeMeco Ryans’ defense was, for the most part, solid in the 2024-2025 season. The Texans let up an average of 21.9 points per game, which ranked 14th in the NFL. Houston additionally was in the top ten in both rushing and passing defense. While this unit was well-balanced going into the offseason, it is receiving significant positional upgrades all across the field, which can elevate it to being among the best in the NFL. In an AFC Conference with so much elite quarterback play, having an elite defense is absolutely crucial.</p><p>As Houston upgrades its defense with a player like Nick Niemman, it will hope quarterback CJ Stroud takes the next step in his development. The former Ohio State standout was phenomenal in his rookie season, winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Stroud, however, had an uneven second season but still is one of the most promising young quarterbacks in the league.</p><p>For his team to take that next step, the 23-year-old will need to bridge the gap between himself and the elite quarterbacks in the AFC who are competing for MVP trophies on an annual basis. Houston is going for it in 2025-26 as the franchise tries to make its first AFC Championship in franchise history.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Texans continue to splurge on defense by adding former Chargers LB

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/eagles-texans-trade-grades-cj-gardner-johnson-deal');   ga('set', 'title', 'Eagles, Texans trade grades for C.J. Gardner-Johnson deal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Eagles-Texans-trade-grades-for-C.J.-Gardner-Johnson-deal.jpg"></figure><h1>Eagles, Texans trade grades for C.J. Gardner-Johnson deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-11T15:30:54-07:00">March 11th, 3:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-11T15:32:23-07:00">March 11th, 3:32pm</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The offseason following a Super Bowl win is always a busy one, and that has certainly been the case for the Philadelphia Eagles. After a championship victory, Super Bowl-winning players immediately become coveted around the league. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/eagles-news-jalen-hurts-key-blowout-super-bowl-59-win-chiefs">Eagles, fresh off winning Super Bowl 59</a>, had a bunch of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/2025-nfl-free-agents-post-super-bowl-ranking-top-players-available-offseason">players hitting the open market this year</a>. They’ve been priced out of retaining some of their players (Milton Williams and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/arizona-cardinals/cardinals-news-arizona-splash-76-million-josh-sweat-contract">Josh Sweat signed elsewhere</a>), and they’ve been forced to make financially motivated moves in order to open up cap space for others. That seemed to be the case with the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/eagles-news-philadelphia-trades-c-j-gardner-johnson-texans">Eagles dealt the safety to the Houston Texans for guard Kenyon Green</a>. Additionally, the Birds are receiving a 2026 fifth-round pick, while the Texans are adding a 2026 sixth-round selection. In this article, we are going to grade the trade for both teams.</p><h2><b>The Eagles move on from another defensive back</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Kenyon-Green.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Last offseason, the Eagles invested heavily into their secondary, and the improvement in that area led to a championship. The team drafted cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean early in the 2024 NFL Draft, but they also signed Gardner-Johnson to a three-year deal after he spent one season with the Detroit Lions (Gardner-Johnson had a previous stint with the Eagles).</p><p>Bringing Gardner-Johnson back into the fold certainly helped, but it only lasted one season, and the Eagles are once again moving on from the safety. In addition, Philadelphia <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/10-best-nfl-players-released-ahead-of-2025-free-agency">released fellow defensive secondary teammates Darius Slay and James Bradberry</a> ahead of free agency. Now, they are banking on the young bucks leading the way going forward.</p><p>The Slay and Bradberry moves made sense because of the cap savings that came with their releases as well as their aging bodies. Gardner-Johnson, though, still has plenty left in the tank, and it would have made sense to keep him as a part of the core during the team’s quest to go back-to-back. Losing three key defensive backs could lead to the team taking a major step back in the passing game on defense, and we saw how much a poor secondary hurt the team during the 2023 season.</p><p>In addition to his talent (Gardner-Johnson was the NFL’s interception leader as recently as 2022), Philadelphia might end up missing the attitude the Florida product brings to the field. The ball-hawking safety plays with intensity, and he is a leader who can fire his teammates up.</p><p>The Eagles’ return in this trade is far from inspiring, too. Kenyon Green was a first-round pick in 2022, but he has struggled mightily on the Texans offensive line. The guard had the lowest Pro Football Focus <a href="https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/kenyon-green/99052" rel="noopener">grade for all guards</a> as a rookie, and he missed the entirety of his sophomore season because of a shoulder injury.</p><p>Green not only missed time again last season, but his play was still underwhelming during the 2024 season, and he was a big reason why the Texans struggled to keep C.J. Stroud upright and with time to throw. The Eagles are known for great offensive line play, so a swing on a reclamation project makes some sense. After all, Green will have tons of talented blockers around him.</p><p>Even so, Green is a major downgrade compared to Mekhi Becton if the Eagles’ plan is to replace their starting guard from last season who is currently an unrestricted free agent. The Eagles’ defense took another hit with this trade, and their offensive line might be worse, too. Green has potential, and the Eagles offer him a better chance to turn things around than most teams do, but this was still a perplexing move.</p><p><b>Grade: D+</b></p><h2><b>The Texans continue their makeover</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/C.J.-Gardner-Johnson.jpg"><figcaption>Geogg Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While the Texans did better in this trade than the Eagles, it was still far from a perfect move for Houston. The Texans were clearly ready to move on from their former first-rounder, but giving the guard one more year to prove himself could have paid off. In addition to the Green trade, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-bombshell-laremy-tunsil-trade-texans">Texans also dealt away Laremy Tunsil.</a></p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-agrees-laken-tomlinson-deal-laremy-tunsil-trade">Laken Tomlinson is the only offensive lineman they’ve added</a> so far. Tomlinson will be Green’s replacement, but the team still has tons of work to do to fix their troubled offensive line.</p><p>With that said, the Texans took the next step forward over the last two years by adding talent to their defense. Gardner-Johnson has winning experience, and he could truly catapult the team into championship contention. While he isn’t an All-Pro-caliber safety, he is still above average at his position.</p><p>With Derek Stingley in the secondary as well, the Texans should force plenty of turnovers next season. Gardner-Johnson plays deep down the field and is excellent at tracking footballs and creating turnovers. This move feels a little incomplete, as the Texans are clearly not done adding to their offensive line, but in a one-for-one trade (with draft pick flips as well), the Texans came out on top in this deal, especially if the team is truly under the belief that Green will never turn into a starting-level guard.</p><p><b>Grade: B</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Eagles, Texans trade grades for C.J. Gardner-Johnson deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-houston-agrees-2-year-deal-key-defensive-starter');   ga('set', 'title', 'Texans agree to 2-year deal with key defensive starter');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Texans-news-Houston-agrees-to-2-year-deal-with-key-defensive-starter.jpg"></figure><h1>Texans agree to 2-year deal with key defensive starter</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-11T13:42:02-07:00">March 11th, 1:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-11T13:42:02-07:00">March 11th, 1:42pm</time><address><a>Scotty White</a>Scotty White is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2020. He has covered athletics at the University of Michigan and is now serving as an Associate Editor, Chicago Bulls beat writer, and Michigan football reporter at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/eagles-news-philadelphia-trades-c-j-gardner-johnson-texans">Houston Texans have been busy this week</a>, and they made another important move on Tuesday afternoon <a href="https://x.com/RapSheet/status/1899503166875471984" rel="noopener">as they are re-signing</a> veteran defensive tackle Mario Edwards. Edwards has been with the Texans for just one year, but he will be back for at least a couple more as he is returning to Houston on a two-year deal worth $9.5 million.</p><p>“The #Texans have agreed to terms with DL Mario Edwards on a two-year, $9.5 million deal to return to Houston, source says,” Ian Rapoport said in a post. “His 12 starts last season were the most for him since 2017 Deal done by @RodneyEdwards24 of Innovation Sports Management.”</p><p>Mario Edwards played his college football at Florida State, and he was selected by the Las Vegas (Oakland at the time) Raiders with the 35th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Since then, he has spent three seasons with the Raiders, one season with the New York Giants, one season with the New Orleans Saints, two seasons with the Chicago Bears, one season with the Tennessee Titans, one season with the Seattle Seahawks and now one with the Texans. Edwards has been in the NFL for 10 seasons, and he has played for seven teams. He has been on the move a lot, but he will get to stay in Houston for a couple more seasons.</p><p>Edwards hasn’t put up crazy numbers during his career, but he has been very consistent and productive. He turned 31 in January, but he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down yet as this past season was one of his best. Edwards was a consistent starter and impact player on defense for the Texans last season, and he did enough to earn another deal.</p><p>Last season, Edwards finished the year with 31 total tackles, three sacks, two passes defended and two fumble recoveries. He was an important part of this Texans defense, and he should be once again this season as well.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-cj-gardner-johnsons-immediate-reaction-trade-houston">The Texans have been hard at work this week</a> getting their roster ready for the 2025 season. This team has already made a lot of progress in each of the last two seasons as they have been to the playoffs as division champs in back-to-back seasons. Now, Houston is realizing what they need to do in order to take the next step in the postseason, and we are seeing the team make some big moves. The defense definitely needs more work than the offense, and that is what the Texans have been attacking.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Texans agree to 2-year deal with key defensive starter

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-agrees-laken-tomlinson-deal-laremy-tunsil-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Texans, ex-Jets OL agree to deal after Laremy Tunsil trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Houston-ex-Jets-OL-agree-to-deal-after-Laremy-Tunsil-trade.jpg"></figure><h1>Texans, ex-Jets OL agree to deal after Laremy Tunsil trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-11T10:39:31-07:00">March 11th, 10:39am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-11T10:39:31-07:00">March 11th, 10:39am</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a>Matt Wadleigh is the lead NCAA Football and NCAA Basketball editor for ClutchPoints, and he also specializes in MLB and NFL coverage. He was born and raised in Oceanside and resides in Fresno with his wife and two dogs. Matthew is a huge Southern California sports fan and a retired member of the Fresno State drumline.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The NFL free agency period has been active, with players officially able to sign contracts on Wednesday. The Houston Texans surprised a lot of people by trading Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders for a haul of picks. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/commanders-news-bombshell-laremy-tunsil-trade-texans">Texans’ trade of Tunsil</a> means they need help on the offensive line.</p><p>However, it didn’t take long for them to address that. On Tuesday, the Texans agreed to a <a href="https://x.com/MikeGarafolo/status/1899497035532837037" rel="noopener">one-year deal</a> worth $4.25 million with Laken Tomlinson, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.</p><p>“Texans agreed to terms with veteran G Laken Tomlinson on one-year, $4.25 million deal with a max value of $5 million, source says. The former #Lions, #49ers, #Jets and #Seahawks lineman heads to Houston.”</p><p>Tomlinson has been around the NFL quite a bit. He was originally selected No. 28 overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2015 NFL Draft.</p><p>Then, Tomlinson spent just two seasons with the Lions <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20520015/detroit-lions-trade-og-laken-tomlinson-san-francisco-49ers" rel="noopener">before being traded</a> to the San Francisco 49ers just before the 2017 season.</p><p>Tomlinson, who played college football at Duke, then spent five years with the 49ers, starting 80 games while being named to the Pro Bowl in 2021. After the 2021 campaign, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jets-news-new-york-in-agreement-with-laken-tomlinson-braxton-berrios-in-free-agency">Tomlinson signed a three-year, $41 million deal</a> with the New York Jets as he reunited with Robert Saleh.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jets-news-cut-1-time-pro-bowler-move-save-8-1-million">Jets then released Tomlinson</a> after two seasons and 34 starts, as he started every game during his tenure with the franchise.</p><p>It has been a whirlwind of a few seasons for the veteran, who spent the 2024 season with the Seattle Seahawks. Now, he heads to the Texans in his third team in three seasons.</p><p>Houston is fresh off a playoff run and a strong season from quarterback CJ Stroud, so bringing him help upfront is a big boost for the franchise, especially with Tunsil being traded away. Even though Tomlinson is 33 years old, he could be a solid addition for the Texans.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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