Derek Barnett returns to the Texans on a one-year deal. Composite Getty Image.
When head coach DeMeco Ryans spoke about the team's top priorities heading into next season, improving the defensive line was at the top of the list.
And so far, the Texans have done exactly that. After adding several key pieces in the first week of free agency Houston continued the trend by re-signing defensive end Derek Barnett to a 1-year deal, per KPRC 2's Aaron Wilson.
Houston added Barnett (age 27) off waivers from the Eagles in late November, and got good production from the move. Barnett played in six regular season games, starting four.
He recorded 2.5 sacks, 19 tackles, and 11 QB hits. And the timing of his arrival was key as the Texans were down their top pass rusher, Jonathan Greenard, who was dealing with an ankle injury in the last three games of the regular season.
Barnett also played in both Texans' playoff games. He had 1 sack, 7 tackles, and 2 QB hits.
With Barnett, Will Anderson, Denico Autry, and Danielle Hunter rushing the passer, the Texans should have plenty of firepower to harass opposing quarterbacks this season.
NFL insiders hint at eye-opening future for Houston Texans offense
Dec 7, 2024, 2:38 pm
One of the nuggets that came out of Nick Caserio's press conference this week, was his thoughts on the job Bobby Slowik has done as an offensive coordinator. When asked if the team has considered sharing the offensive play calling, Caseiro responded with an emphatic, “absolutely not.”
Caserio went on to praise the job Slowik has done this year, and to say the team's struggles in the second half this season is due to execution.
This stance is consistent with what we've heard from Texans insiders that believe Slowik will be back next season. As much as many Texans fans believe a change at OC could help CJ Stroud, who's shown regression this year, it doesn't appear Slowik is going anywhere.
To be fair, most teams aren't looking to replace their coordinators when they're leading their division and marching toward the postseason for the second straight year.
Number crunching
When comparing Stroud's stats to last season, there is a clear dropoff in 2024. But a lot of that has to do with the addition of Joe Mixon, especially when it comes to touchdowns.
Mixon is third in the NFL with 11 rushing TDs, while Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary only combined for 6 over the entire 2023 season. One could argue the passing offense has regressed, but one could also argue the offense overall is more balanced.
Stroud is still Top 5 in passing yards, heading into this week's games. And even if we account for the bye week, Stroud will still be Top 10 after this week's slate of games.
The most concerning number to keep an eye on is sacks. Only one QB has been sacked more than Stroud, who's been sacked 41 times. CJ's protection has gotten better since Juice Scruggs was moved to guard, and Jarrett Patterson was inserted at center.
If Stroud starts getting hit again at a high level, that may be the one factor that could make the front office rethink their plans at coordinator. However, if the Texans do make a change, we expect them to address their o-line coach before any changes at OC.
Be sure to watch the video above for our full breakdown of the Texans offense, the coaching staff, and our thoughts on how the Azeez Al-Shaair suspension will impact the team.
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